The library of the hermitage Fonte Avellana is one of the oldest ones as it was founded in the year 980 together with the monastery itself, which also includes the crypt ( 10^th century), the church (12^th century), the sacristy ( 18^th century), the cloister ( 11^th century) and the scriptorium ( 12^th century).

It belongs to the Camaldulese monks of the Order of St. Benedict. Since Medieval times, close to the scriptorium where works were copied and written by the Holy Fathers, there’s always been a vast library which Saint Pier Damiani requested for the community of Avellana ( 11^th century), and which was later widened by Cardinal Bressanone, a commendatory abbot.

The historical and monastic library was built by Abbot Giacinto Boni in 1733. He was fond of sciences and literature. The books, divided into groups of topics, are placed in valuable walnut bookcases dating back to the 19^th century. It was deprived of its books twice, in 1811 and in 1816, due to Napoleon’s suppression. In 1933 it could regain all of its possessions.

In modern times it includes the oldest book heritage of Fonte Avellana, which consists of about 25,000 books, all of which were printed starting from the discovery of printing ( the oldest incunabulum dates back to 1470) until the end of the 19^th century. These books are prevailingly incunabula, about 1,000 16^th century books mainly about theology, human sciences and Early Chistian philosophy.

The oldest section of the library is not only a place where old books are preserved but also offers a venue for meetings and promotes culture.

The modern library is housed in a 11^th century room which was originally used as a guest house. It’s named after Dante Alighieri and it was first opened to the public in 1965, on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the birth of the poet, as in the 21^st Canto of the Paradise in the Divine Comedy, dialoguing with Saint Pier Damiani, he describes Fonte Avellana. Allegedly the poet stayed here around 1318, when he was exiled in nearby Gubbio.

It consists of about 7,000 books mainly about theology, literature, philosophy, history and Early Christian philosophy.

Jesi is one of the most beguiling towns in Ancona’s inland and boasts a sophisticated old centre and lively cultural life. As you arrive you must look at its most striking feature - a belt of massive 14thC walls, built on Roman foundations and later strengthened with buttresses and impregnable towers, and topped by houses.
Piazza Federico II lies at the north-eastern end of the town where the Roman forum of Aesis once lay. Its name recalls the birth here of the fabled Medieval Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II in a tent on 26 December 1194. In Piazza Ghislieri is the Federico II Museum, a large multimedia museum dedicated to the emperor, documenting Federico's life and his stirring deeds. A few steps down Via Pergolesi and you will be in Piazza Colocci and in front of Jesi's most remarkable building, Palazzo della Signoria. This Renaissance palace was built at the end of the 15thC; the large rampant lion above the entrance is the symbol of the power the city once held. Piazza della Repubblica, Jesi's largest square, is dominated by the town's 18thC theatre, Teatro Pergolesi, home to a prestigious autumn opera season and named after the composer Pergolesi, who was born here in 1710.
On Via XV Settembre stands Jesi's most flamboyant building, Palazzo Pianetti. Apart from its hundred windows, the bland facade little prepares you for the over-the-top Rococo flourishes inside. The most extravagant part is the sugar-candy stucco work in the long galleria. The over-blown decoration alone would merit a visit; the added bonus of the civic art gallery makes it obligatory as here is kept a small group of some of Lorenzo Lotto’s finest works: the Judgement of Santa Lucia, a Visitation, an Annunciation and a restless Deposition.
To find an exhaustive selection of Marche wines you can’t miss the regional “enoteca”, in the city historical centre, where you get to know the delicious Verdicchio, a white wine proudly produced in this area.
Among the main events, to be mentioned is the Palio of San Floriano and historical re-enactment: during the first week of May the town fully plunges into a medieval atmosphere. 

In 1907 Marquis Bernardo Pianetti gave his famous and rich library, whose origins date back to some centuries ago, to the municipality of Jesi.

That’s how his nephew Cardolo Maria Pianetti, who wanted to be admitted to the Academy of Almorò Albrizzi in Venice, introduced himself: “ a scientist in human, erudite, philosophical, mathematical studies, an expert in law.. he owns in Jesi a prestigious library which consists of rare books relating all sciences. It was inherited by his uncle Monsignor Giuseppe Pianetti, Bishop of Todi” ( 1708).

This collection of books, inherited under the condition that it would be destined to public use, reflects his uncles’ vast human and juridical knowledge. He was the actual book collector of the Pianetti family. In order to make the library public, which meanwhile was further enriched by two collections belonging to his wife Susanna Mannelli ( mainly books about Latin and Greek classical books and books about law, history, geography and travels) and to another uncle, Carlo Maria Bishop of Larino, who was Giuseppe’s brother, Cardolo Maria had in 1738 a unique manuscript catalogue drawn up, which was handwritten by the Franciscan Friars Minor of the Observance of the San Francesco Convent in Ancona.

The library consists of about 15,000 books, most of which date back to the 16^th and 17^th century and of famous editions printed in Venice, Rome, Padua, Paris, Lyon, Basel, Cologne, Frankfurt, London. There are also 16 incunabula, most part of which are about classical literature. Worth mentioning is the vast collection of gazettes written between 1655 and 1723 and a collection of 17^th and 18^th century almanacs.

This wide-ranging library was further increased in 1787 by other bequeathals by Bishop Gaspare Bernardo Pianetti, Bishop of Viterbo, which was later donated in 1905 to the municipality of Jesi by Bernardino Pianetti. Nowadays these assets and the Pianetti archives make up one of the most significant collections of documents in the Planettiana Library.

The seat of the municipal Planettiana Library is the impressive Palazzo della Signoria, a Renaissance palace built in Jesi by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, the famous Sienese architect, in Colocci Square, right at the center of the historical centre. This palace was built between 1486 and 1498. The tower was later partly rebuilt in 1661 due to the 1657 earthquake which destroyed it. It features a characteristic watch which is in the tower, whose machine was built brand new in 1939 by the watchmaker Edoardo Marconi from the Marche. The old time machine which was in the tower had been made I 1723 by a Venetian builder whose name was Antonius Molinarius, as an inscription in the frame machine documents.

At the second floor of the palace, in the room where the rare and valuable Pianetti library collection is located, you can also admire two wonderful globes dating back to the end of the 17^th century. Their circumference measures more than 3 metres and they were made by the Venetian cosmographerVincenzo Coronelli.

Fabriano is famous worldwide for the production of paper and watermark; this invention was introduced by papermakers from Fabriano in the second half of the thirteenth century.
The town is one of the UNESCO's Creative Cities; in 2013 it was included in the category Crafts and folk arts, beacuse of the production of handmade paper.
So proud is the town of its traditional industry that it has dedicated an interesting modern museum to it - you'll find the Museo della Carta (Paper and watermark museum) in the former monastery of San Domenico. The Paper and Watermark Museum traces the town's fascinating history of this important craft, with centuries-old machinery and well-preserved manuscripts illustrating its prominence over the ages. The most remarkable churches are: the Cathedral of San Venanzio, built in 1600 boasting frescoes by Allegretto Nuzi in 1360; the church of San Domenico; the Church of San Filippo , the church of St Biagio and the church St Romualdo, whose crypt houses the marble sarcophagus with the relics of St. Romuald, founder of the Camaldolese order; the late-thirteenth-century Church of St. Agostino, full of valuable frescoes; the church of St. Nicola, the church of St. Benedetto, housing works by Simone de Magistris, Orazio Gentileschi and Pasqualino Rossi. You can't miss: the Oratory of the Banner, with a ceiling carved and decorated in pure gold at the beginning of the seventeenth century by French sculptor Leonardo Scaglia ; the Oratory of the Charity, frescoed by Mannerist painter Filippo Bellini from Urbino. In the locality of Poggio San Romualdo is the abbey of San Salvatore in Val di Castro, dating back to the year 1000; in nearby Campodonico is the hermitage of San Biagio in Caprile. In the central and picturesque Piazza del Comune stands the Palazzo del Podestà, a typical example of medieval architecture, built in the middle of the thirteenth century, with swallow-tail battlements; further tourist attactions are: the Fountain of Sturinalto, a smaller version of Perugia's famous fountain, built at the close of the 13thC, the Town hall, the Loggiato San Francesco, the former hospital of Santa Maria del Buon Gesù, a fine example of late Gothic architecture housing the art gallery Bruno Molajoli and boasting precious paintings on wood and frescoes by Allegretto Nuzi, Maestro di Staffolo, Antonio da Fabriano, Ottaviano Nelli, Orazio Gentileschi and Andrea Boscoli; the nineteenth-century Teatro Gentile, with a precious curtain by Luigi Serra. The theatre is dedicated to Gentile da Fabriano, Italy's greatest master of the late International Gothic style of painting, born in Fabriano in 1375. 

The typical product of Fabriano is the "salame of Fabriano", that is a sort of salami with pieces of lard. The top quality white wine made in the area is Verdicchio di Matelica DOC wine.
The most important event taking place in Fabriano is the Palio di San Giovanni Battista (June). During this event there are games and historical parades. In late May Fabriano hosts Poiesis , a festival including poetry, art, music and  theatre.

Even back in the 14th century, Fabriano's paper mills were producing a million sheets of paper a year and it was here that watermarked paper was developed. Its paper is still used the world over for bank notes and quality art paper.
So proud is the town of its traditional industry that it has dedicated an interesting modern museum to it - you'll find the Museo della Carta in the former monastery of San Domenico to the south of the town on Largo Fratelli Spacca. The Paper and Watermark Museum traces the town's fascinating history of this important craft, with centuries-old machinery and well-preserved manuscripts illustrating its prominence over the ages. Watermarks dated back to 15th and 16th century.

Loreto and the Holy House

The town of Loreto developed around the famous Basilica that contains the “Santa Casa” (the Holy House of Nazareth) where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary was born, lived and received the announcement of the miraculous birth of Jesus. 

Tradition says that, when in 1291 the Muslims finally expelled the Christians from Jerusalem and then tried to regain Nazareth, a group of angels took care of the House and, after some wanderings, spreading their wings took it to Loreto. For this reason, the Madonna of Loreto is venerated as the patroness of aviators. 
Studies highlight that the origin of the House is Palestine in view of both the architectural style and the use of construction materials, unknown to the Marche territory and instead widely used in the Holy Land at the time. A recent theory, supported by the discovery of documents written after 1294, asserts that the transfer was the work of the Angeli Comneno princes, a branch of the imperial family of Constantinople, who carried the stones by ship. Both theories, in any event, concur that the House left Nazareth in 1291, passed through Dalmatia, remaining for about three years in Trsat (now a district of the town of Rijeka in Croatia), and arrived in Loreto on the night of December 9th-10th, 1294. 

In 1469, on the initiative of the bishop of Recanati, Nicolò delle Aste and later with Pope Paul II, the first construction of the present basilica began, first with Gothic and later Renaissance forms. In 1586, Pope Sixtus V appointed Loreto to the diocese and the bronze statue designed by Antonio Calcagni and Tiburzio Vergelli, that is placed in all its majesty next to the entrance of the Basilica, was dedicated to him. The octagonal dome was the work of Giuliano da Sangallo and was built in the years 1499-1500. The statue of the Virgin Mary, made of embossed and gilded copper, is on the top of the dome’s lantern. Next to the white Istria stone facade, completed in 1587, stands the elegant bell tower (1750-55) by Luigi Vanvitelli. The shrine of the Holy House is positioned under the dome, faced with marble and with statues and reliefs, a masterpiece of 16th century sculpture. The highly evocative interior is a destination for pilgrims who come from all over the world to pray before the statue of the Black Madonna. 

The Chapel of the Annunciation was decorated with frescoes by Federico Zuccari, the sacristies of San Marco and San Giovanni by Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Signorelli, the ceiling and the roof of the Sala del Tesoro by Pomarancio. The Museum and Picture Gallery of the Holy House of Loreto, housed in the Apostolic Palace, preserves paintings, sculptures, tapestries and majolicas from the Sanctuary and donated to the Holy House in the course of the centuries. The later works by Lorenzo Lotto, who died in Loreto in around 1556, stand out in the collection of paintings. 

The Holy House Treasure includes valuable works of very refined jewellery.

Osimo is situated on the hills between the valleys of Aspio and Musone, 18 km from Ancona. It is an ancient town, surrounded by medieval and Roman walls. The historic centre has churches and noble palaces from the seventeeth/eighteenth-centuries. During the Byzantine time it belonged to the maritime Pentapoli and was a very important centre. It became a free town in 1100 and was dominated by the Malatesta and Sforza.

The street plan of the old town still retains its Roman layout; you can admire the sturdy blocks of  Roman walls above Via Fonte Magna (III-II BC) and the water garden Fonte Magna (I century BC). The Palazzo Comunale, or town hall, in main Piazza del Comune houses a dozen headless statues from Roman times; the statues originally stood in the town's forum and were, according to tradition, decapitated during an early occupation of the place.
The Duomo of S. Leopardo, originally built in the 13th century in romanesque-gothic style, boasts a magnificently atmospheric crypt and an outstanding bronze baptismal font from the early 17th century.
In the heart of the old town stands  the Sanctuary of San Giuseppe da Copertino, built in the 13th century, with connected convent and cloister and now an important centre of pilgrimage. San Giuseppe is known as the patron saint of those undergoing exams. Thanks also to his celebrated capacity for levitation, St Joseph of Copertino is also much invoked in the U.S.A as a protector of pilots.
Must see attractions are also the church of S. Marco with a canvas by Guercino, Palazzo Campana and Palazzo Gallo.
A few kilometres south-east of Osimo in the valley of the Musone river, stands the imposing Sanctuary of Campocavallo, a striking piece of early 20th century architecture in Lombard neo-gothic style. It guards a venerated image of the Virgin behind the main altar; in 1892 it was seen to weep by the faithful, a phenomenon reputedly repeated a number of times since then.

The library of Count Monaldo Leopardi (1776-1847) significantly documents how cultivated social classes from the Marche were much interested in antiques’ research and local history. This was a tradition of local studies which reached its peak at the end of the 18^th century thanks to the monumental work by the abbot Giuseppe Colucci “Picene antiquity”.

The library was opened by Monaldo Loepardi, the poet’s father, in 1812. At that time it was a very large library, as it consisted of 16,000 books stored in four rooms, divided into topics, except for the second rooms which was entirely dedicated to religious literature.

The collection of books includes several sections: the Fathers of the Church, dogmatic, critical but also Protestant theology.

Besides, it’s made up of Enlightened books, also from the 18^th century anti-philosophical point of view, and foreign literature of that time. These books were read by Giacomo Leopardi who therefore elaborated a vision of the world and of history which was opposite to his father’s views.

Most part of the library was bought by Count Monaldo at the fairs of Recanati and Senigallia and some travels to Rome on occasion of the suppression of religious orders and convents during and after the Roman Republic. Monaldo also bought many books written in Greek for his son Giacomo but mainly for his love for antiques. The profound collector’s love for books and also coins, medals, inscriptions and a vast knowledge of documents chosen by him is reflected also in his works of local history.

At the wall of the library hangs an inscription where Monaldo states his intention to open a library not only for himself but also for the people from Recanati. In fact, it was always open for cultivated men, and at present it continues to be open for visitors attracted by the museum and the books.

Casa Leopardi, Leopardi’s Palazzo, houses the library. It’s right opposite the square of the “Saturday evening in the village” and it’s exactly the same as it was at the time of the Count Monaldo. The four rooms of the library entirely occupy the first floor of the palazzo, which also consists of the Manuscript Room, the bedroom and the studio. The first room is characterized by a panelled ceiling; the second room, smaller than the other ones, has a fascinating hand-painted canvas ceiling with paintings in typical Pompeian style; the third and fourth room both have a rectangular shape and hold hundreds of books placed on enormous shelves.

Matelica is located in the centre of the High Esino Valley, surrounded to the East by the Mount San Vicino and to the West  by The Marche Apennines chain of mountains. The ancient name of the city was Matilica.  Most of the life of Matelica revolves around the central Piazza Enrico Mattei (the founder and first president of ENI - National Hydrocarbons Agency), where its elegant  16th Century fountain stands, having an octagonal shape. In white stone, it dates back to l587, and it was designed by the same architect of the Holy House of Loreto, Lattanzio Ventura from Urbino. From the central basin emerge four statues of sea divinities, on the panels are papal coat of arms of Sixtus V and of some Cardinals. Around it there are some of the town's chief attractions: Palazzo del Governo , Palazzo Ottoni and the town hall. The local theatre was designed by Giuseppe Piermarini, the architect who built the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The first news of the building of the Government Palace date back to 1271 by the architect Benincasa da Firenze, suppported by Bruno da Fabriano. The palace, which is next to the Civic Tower, was remodeled several times and this damaged it from the point of view of the stylistic harmony. Along the streets and alleys there are several palaces and Churches that preserve important works of art; among them,  the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Church of San Francesco, rich in fifteenth century works of art, and the Municipal Theatre, by Giuseppe Piermarini, the architect who built the Scala Theatre in Milan. Palazzo Piersanti hosts the eponymous museum that takes its name from the collections of Venanzio Filippo Piersanti, donated in 1901 to the Cathedral. Among the notable works preserved, are paintings by Bellini, Antonio da Fabriano, Francesco di Gentile da Fabriano, Salvator Rosa, Carlo Maratta, fine silver objects, rare and quality furniture. Not to be missed is the Archaeological Museum, housed within Finaguerra Palace, located near the church of San Francesco. The Piceno civilization is particularly represented , with rich objects of the 8^th -7^th centuries BC.  Of exceptional interest, even because of its rarity, is the spherical sundial marble watch, with inscriptions in greek, known as “Globo di Matelica” (Globe of Matelica), dated between the first and second century A.D. The most important event taking place in Matelica between July and August is the International Folklore Festival.
Matelica joins both  the National Association of Wine Cities and the National Association Honey Cities.  Its pride is Verdicchio di Matelica, a white wine produced in the area and one of the Marche’s top quality white wines. Its special attention and care in producing this wine, along with such successful cultural and touristic ventures as the Summer School and the Cigar Festival, made Matelica earn the prestigious Spiga Verde (Green Spike) award.

The Local Products
The local cuisine is simple, but with strong flavors reflecting the geographical features of the region. The Gastronomy, deeply tied to the products of the territory, but capable of great refinements, offers appetizers like "crescia" with "sfrigoli" or “crostini” with chicken liver or lamb pluck, and the first dishes such as vincisgrassi, with a fascinating and ancient history, “tagliatelle della trebbiatura”(threshing noodles), “cappelletti” in broth and “gnocchi” (potato dumplings) with gosling. Among the second dishes, in addition to the Marche beef from Fabriano and Marchigiana breed , which also deserves to be mentioned, we find the typical products of the farmyard: chickens and rabbits in “potacchio” (cooking in white with addition of garlic, rosemary and white wine) or the variation in “porchetta”, with the addition of wild fennel.
Matelica is also the " Honey City", a product that fits perfectly with cheese. The best local honeys are collected in the Upper Esino Valley between hills and fields where the flora is rich with wildflowers and the pollution is almost absent. The “millefiori”(wildflowers), chestnut and acacia honey , come up beside the oak honeydew which is its typical product obtained from the sap leaking from the plants due to the action of pests, with a bitter, but very appreciated, taste.
Artisan cured meat shop
The amount and variety of cured meats depend directly on the history of the agricultural reality of this area. The one that was once called "la pista", the phase of preparation of the cured meat, is continued today by the numerous artisan cured-meat shops. You can not miss the opportunity to taste the "ciauscolo"(soft spreadable salami), called the prince of cured meats, smoked on the fireplace which makes it particularly soft. Delicious products are also the larded cured meats, "coppa", pork loin and liver sausage.
Cheese
 Cheese production has always been much appreciated over the time. Sheep farming traditionally made up of head of "Vissana" and "Sopravissana" cattle has created a pecorino cheese and ricotta production . The first, made exclusively from sheep's milk, can be eaten fresh (in this case the shape is cylindrical and with white dough) or aged (yellow dough and yellowish and scaly texture).


The historic center, the monuments and the museums of the town are partially accessible. For information please write to Toll-free Number Marche Tourism (numeroverde.turismo@regione.marche.it) or contact the phone numbers listed below.

Fermo is situated on the slopes of Sabulo Hill (319 above sea level). The city is now divided into two parts: the old town, that has remained almost intact through the centuries, and the new area.

SEASIDE HOLIDAY OFFER:  Fermo features the seaside resorts of Marina Palmense (3 km of beach to the south of Porto San Giorgio)  and Lido di Fermo, Casabianca and Lido San Tommaso (4 km of beach to the north). The beaches at Lido di Fermo and Marina Palmense are both pebbled and sandy; the area is full of camping sites, tourist villages and apartments and equipped with many facilities, like bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The resorts are surrounded by green and lush hills, protecting the coast from the winds. There's a bike path running from Casabianca to the village of San Tommaso.

ATTRACTIONS: The heart of the town is the magnificent Renaissance Piazza del Popolo, formerly Piazza Grande, where there is the sixteenth century Palazzo dei Priori, whose main entrance is topped by  Sansovino's grand statue of the Bishop of Fermo who was to become Pope Sixtus V. Now it is home to the Municipal Art Gallery, boasting valuable paintings of the Venetian and Marche schools and the "Nativity" by Rubens, and the Sala del Mappamondo (Hall of the Globe), taking its name from the world map drawn by the cartographer Moroncelli of Fabriano in 1713; the building also houses the archaeological section "From the Villanovians to Piceni"; further remarkable palaces surrounding the square are: the Palazzo degli Studi, housing the town library "Spezioli" with 400.000 volumes, and the Apostolic Palace, built in 1532 as the residence of the Governors and of the papal legates. Fermo's pride is also the prestigious "Teatro dell'Aquila", a fine example of eighteenth century architecture.  Also worthy of note are the underground piscine romane (roman pools) which comprise thirty magnificently preserved underground chambers built between 41 & 60 BC to conserve and purify the town's water supply, and regarded as the finest example of their kind in Italy. Climbing up Girfalco hill, you reach the 13th century Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral, with its richly decorated interior and fine rose window. You cant' miss: the Church of San Francesco, which houses fragments of frescoes by Giuliano da Rimini; the church of San Domenico, rebuilt in 1233 on the area where once stood the church of St. Thomas of Canterbury; the Church of St. Agostino, decorated with nice frescoes by Giotto's school.
The most famous local products are: caciotta, a top quality cheese made from both ewe and cow's milk; ciauscolo ( soft cured pork) and vin cotto (sweet "cooked" wine). The frustingo is the typical Christmas cake. It is made with dried figs, raisins, almonds, walnuts, cooked wine, flavored with cocoa, coffee, rum, grated orange and lemon peel, candied fruit and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The most imnportant event taking place in Fermo is the feast of the Assumption, celebrated on August 15. During the summer period the Piazza del Popolo plays host to Fermo's music festival featuring some of the world's finest performers, as well as outdoor markets.