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CJ 06-28-2007, 10:09 AM
The Marche first entered written history during the Stone Age, although it wasn’t until the Iron Age that its fate seemed to be decided with the arrival of the first rural settlements. The major step towards civilisation followed the arrival of the Piceni between the 10th and 9th centuries B.C. The Piceni were warlike, industrious, artistic and relatively wealthy. Around the first half of the 3rd century B.C., they brokered an alliance with Rome, but it was only a matter of time before the Romans gained the upper hand by taking control of the entire territory, which they recognised as a strategically important centre for trade. Taking advantage of the principal routes: the Via Salaria and Via Flaminia, the Romans went about their business in building the Marche into a self-sufficient outpost.
After the break up of the Roman Empire, the remaining inhabitants were driven from power, enduring a stormy era of destruction and devastation at the hands of the aggressive barbarian invaders eager to possess all of the wealth that Central Italy’s natural resources could provide. More periods of turmoil followed as a direct result of church rule and the subsequent spread of feudalism. In the end, feudal barons seized power and the territory was divided into autonomous states governed by the Malatesta dynasty in Fano and the Montefeltro and della Rovere dynasties in Urbino.
For almost three hundred years the political situation in the Marche remained unstable. But the abolition of feudal rule finally came during the 16th century when Cesare Borgia attempted to consolidate his power in central Italy. Although he failed, his actions helped the church widen its influence, with territorial power again shifting into the hands of the Papal State. The Marche then became imperial border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire (the name first appeared in the 1815 Congressional Acts of Vienna - before that, the territory was referred to as Marca Anconitana and Marca Firmana etc) and part of the newly united Italy after the battle of Castelfidardo in 1860.
The 19th and 20th centuries were dogged by popular discontent, resulting in mass emigration as people abandoned the Marche in a desperate search for a better life abroad. Unemployment and poverty led to demonstrations and strikes and in June 1914, just before outbreak of the First World War, tragedy struck during the settimana rossa (red week)when mobs in Ancona vented their anger at troops who had opened fire on the demonstrating strikers.
The harsh economic conditions and ever-escalating uncertainty of the 1920’s gave rise to further extremes as socialism, followed by the explosion of fascism, unleashed more violence, disruption and disorder. During the 1940’s the Marche, like the rest of central Italy, became deeply bound up in the conflict of the Second World War. By 1943 the region was occupied yet again: this time by the German army fleeing north from Rome. Once again the security of the Marche was seen to be at stake until the allied offensive, whose objective was to breach the formidable Gothic line, liberated the provincial capitals of Ascoli, Macerata, Ancona and Pesaro.
When the oppressive mezzadria was finally dismantled following post-war reconstruction, farming was gradually replaced by family-run enterprise. This gave rise to a booming economy that lasted from the 1960’s to the 1980’s. In fact, the marchigiani still have a talent for business and if there’s a single, common thread that permeates an outsider’s view of the Marche’s economic model today, it is the family business. Hats, wicker baskets, shoes, fashion, furniture, musical instruments, paper manufacturing (the filigrana paper watermark was invented here), fishing and lace making feature among some of the traditional entrepreneurial activities. The Marche also has about 100 well known brand names.
The region has many rural districts and this is why it has managed to sustain many of its traditional values across the centuries. It is also why we are seeing a rinascimento della terra, with the production of highly commendable olive oil and wines. There are 5 Provinces: Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, Ancona and Pesaro Urbino and given its backdrop of picturesque and impressive Sibillini Mountains, rolling hills, verdant countryside and numerous medieval towns and villages, the territory here is very inspiring.
Some of my favourite parts include the Montefeltro, Riviera del Conero and the rolling hills that extend south between Macerata and Ascoli Piceno.
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CJ
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