Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thursday 28th April

The Macerata district in the east of Le Marche was settled by the "Picena" tribe some 3,000 years ago and despite its age is still not really on the tourist radar apart from offering one of Italy's most famous opera festivals in Macerata and days of  wonderful scenery and sights throughout the territory.
We were enticed to go and see see some of this wonderful scenery and sights today and ventured far into this  "unexplored" territory and were not disappointed. I am sure others have ventured into Urbisaglia but not today. We were there on our own and there is nothing quite like being a tourist in a magnificent former Roman colony like this and having it to yourself with the locals - eat your hearts out those tourists in Rome and Venice jostling for a view or ticket.
But not only were the sights restricted to the ancient towns. The countryside in this part of Italy is fantastic -majestic rolling hills and green lush valleys and every turn on a country road presents a new scene which surpasses the last one.
Caldarola is south west of  Urbisaglia and its name refers to ancient thermal soothing sources that had disappeared by the 16th Century - no therapeutic baths for the toothache but plenty for the eyes. The town is described as "Terra di Castelli e d'Arte" - the Land of Castles and Art.
 Unfortunately these sights were restricted to the outside views as the local tourist system does not swing into being until May when the tourists from the Adriatic Coast start to arrive in town. So we had to be content with looking at the photographs of inside the Castello Pallotta, the I Pittori and the Castello di Vestignano in the Italian language brochure we picked up in the restaurant where we had lunch.



Fortifications in Urbisaglia


Balcony and Plaque over Municipio Offices in Urbisaglia 


Street Scene in  Caldarola


1st Stage Steps to Castle - 2 to go - we didn't.


View of Castle from Bottom of Stairs

The magnificen "Room of Paradise" in the
"Palazzo dei Cardinali Pallotta"
(which we didn't get to see - Palazzo not open )

Ruins of Ancient Brick Kiln


Entrance to One of Many Tunnels Travelled Through

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