Fiera Di San Martino in Grottammare.

In England the 11 November is Remembrance Day where we remember those who gave their lives to ensure that we would have a free world to live in. Throughout much of the rest of the world though, 11 November is more commonly known as St Martin’s day, Martinmas or The Feast Of St Martin Of Tours.
St Martin (San Martino here in Italy) is famous for originally being a Roman soldier who was baptised as an adult and later went on to become a monk. As legend has it, San Martino stumbled upon a shivering beggar during a particularly fierce snowstorm. Despite being cold himself, San Martino tore his cloak in half and draped one half of it over the beggar to help keep him warm. That night Martino dreamt that Jesus introduced him to angels as the man who gave him half his cloak.

St Martin’s day is celebrated in many different ways around the world. Although most celebrations revolve around the idea of feasting this idea is run with in many wonderful ways.
In The Netherlands for example, I am told that St Martin’s day is treated as a kind of mix between Halloween and Christmas caroling where kids go around to different houses swinging their paper lanterns and singing songs to then be rewarded with sweets, treats and all sorts of wonderful things.

Here in Grottammare in southern Le Marche, Italy, the festivities for St Martin’s day also revolve around the idea of feasting where roast chestnuts are a must and in accordance with tradition the Vino Novello (new wine) is tasted and enjoyed as a way to celebrate the end of this years harvest.

Here in Grottammare the whole event revolves around an enormous market that occupies the centre of the town. This annual market first began back in the eighteenth century and is still going strong today.

Originally the products you could buy were generally things to be consumed but nowadays you can find practically anything at this enormous event that stretches over hundreds of stalls and is one of the most popular events in the Grottammare calendar, attracting thousands of visitors each year. At this market you can literally find anything from food and flowers to furniture and animals.

During the Fiera di San Martino (Feast of St Martin) the most popular dish is said to be a salad of celery which is strongly seasoned with pepper and spice. Not only is it delicious but it is also said to be considered an aphrodisiac and so tends to be offered to men to help keep them virile and not give their lives a reason to betray them.

This Friday it is party time in Grottammare so come on down and join in with the festivities and the wine drinking. It’s going to be fantastic.

Marco Simoncelli

We just want to say that we wish the family and friends of Marco Simoncelli all the strength during what is without doubt a truly terrible time for them.

It’s only in the last few years that I became a fan of motor sport and I think I found Moto GP just as Simoncelli was becoming THE guy to watch.
Throughout his career he won a string of competitions and trophies including the 2002 European 125cc Championship and the 2008 250cc World Championship. In ten short years he rocketed from Italian Minimoto up to the Moto GP competing with the likes of his fellow countryman and mentor,  Valentino Rossi.

Sadly this crash follows that of Moto2 racer Shoya Tomizawa who tragically died during a race in San Marino last year at the age of 19, after a very similar accident. It’s quite the reminder that although motor sport is cool it can also be incredibly cruel.

Having read many great tributes to Simoncelli one of the strongest has to be a BBC report in which seven-time world champion Rossi and Simoncelli’s compatriot Andrea Dovizioso pay tribute to the rider. You can read the BBC report by clicking here.

For another very good tribute to Simoncelli, this time a video set to a Foo Fighters soundtrack, you can click here.

Huge Halloween Events In Corinaldo, Le Marche

Halloween is here again. The time of the year when we crack out the ghost stories and confectionary manufacturers milk our wallets so we can pile our neighbours’ kids full of sweets when they come knocking at our doors dressed as witches and superheroes.

So what are your plans for halloween this year?  Are you and/or your kids going to be dressing up and going door to door shouting ‘TRICK OR TREEEEAT!’ in the hope of being rewarded with handfuls of sweet things? Or are you going to be sat on your roof with water balloons ready to pelt anyone who dares come to your door? Maybe you’re going to turn all your lights out, head to bed early and hope your house isn’t covered in eggs and toilet paper the next day. Whatever it is you’re doing, could I suggest an alternative.

Since 1998 the town of Corinaldo near Ancona in Le Marche  has held La Festa Delle Streghe – The Festival Of Witches. It is an enormous celebration of all things dark and scary and this year looks to be a truly fantastic event. The event runs over four days from Friday 28 to Monday 31 October and goes from 10am until 2am the following morning.

There is a great mix of events, attractions and stalls to keep even the craziest demons busy this halloween. In terms of attractions there are many that include The House Of Spirits, fireworks and The Tunnel of Fear which is best thought of as being like a ghost train but explored on foot and said to be haunted by ghosts and phantoms. There are workshops aimed at helping children become creative with all things scary and street entertainers haunting the town such as Zucchino the clown. Besides the shows and attractions there is also a grand market filled with stalls that sell everything from food and drink to items from mythology and folklore.
One of the biggest attractions is Miss Witch 2011 which is a beauty pageant much like Miss World but rather than sporting bikinis, these ladies are clad in black capes and pointed hats.

If you’re in Le Marche during the event and want to go or you are considering heading here for a long weekend to enjoy the festivities then you can find all the details you need about the events and also how to get there on the festival website which you can get to by clicking the picture below.

Le Marche Theatres In The Guardian

I’ve just stumbled upon this great article on The Guardian website regarding the best and most popular theatres in the world. Le Marche as a region, boasts the highest theatres to population ratio in all of Italy. No matter what town you find your self in whether it is the enormous Ascoli Piceno or the tiny but stunning Ripatransone you will find a theatre that is not only carefully maintained but also still considered to be a focal point of the town.

In the Guardian article of the top 12 theatres they recommend, spanning 9 different countries there is only one recommendation for Italy and that is the stunning Teatro La Fenice in Amandola right here in Le Marche.  I must profess that of all the theatres I’ve checked out in the region I have never managed to make it to Amandola but after checking out their website I think I will have to venture there. It looks simply stunning. You can see it by clicking here

As I said though, there are loads of fantastic theatres in the Le Marche region so during your visit it’s always worth a stop at the local tourist information to find your nearest theatre and what performances and happening when. As an extra special treat, why not check out the truly phenomenal Sferisterio in Macerata. You can check out their website (which is available in both English and Italian) by clicking here.

That link again for the Guardian article is here

MiaCasaMarche in Helsinki

Gabriele was recently in Helsinki, Finland promoting Le Marche property at an Italian fair. There, he was interviewed by the journalist and writer Petri Nevalainen who was writing an article about the fair. Below is what he produced. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a fantastic piece of writing. Thanks Petri. 

Helsinki’s Big Italy

By Petri Nevalainen

The recent Italian Market in Helsinki attracted a number of Italian companies to Finland. The event was organized to promote Italy and Italian products in Finland. Two of the Italian companies who took part were MiaCasaMarche and Restored Homes. Primarily the companies were there to help people who are looking to buy a property in the Le Marche region.

Gabriele Mircoli, the founder of MiaCasaMarche and co-founder of Restored Homes returned to Helsinki for the third time this year. Originally, his primary market was the UK where he was based for a large part of his life. Since 2005 though, he has been back in Italy and as the name of the company that was started in 2006 reveals, he operates exclusively in Le Marche. In the beginning most of his customers were British, but gradually he has widened the clientele to include the Nordic countries as well.

“I like to think that what I provide is fairly unique. Primarily this is so because my aim is not to be an agent but to act as a consultant for the actual prospective buyer,” Mircoli says.

“My work can vary from a little bit of help to a large project. For example, I can help people in finding a place to stay for a holiday or searching for their dream property to buy. I can also handle the legal paperwork and propose some companies to do the restoration work if needed.”

With his fairly brief experience with Finnish customers Gabriele Mircoli describes them as people who tend to look for a small farmhouse with lots of privacy. He has also found that a prospective Finnish buyer would often seek property quite close to the sea which is something MiaCasaMarche specialises in.

Le Marche as a region is not yet that well known in the Nordic countries. Everybody knows Tuscany, but Le Marche is often not so familiar. When people actually come to Le Marche, they are almost always absolutely delighted. The scenery is very similar to that of Tuscany, but the property prices are lower.

When people visit Italy, those who tend to prefer Le Marche to Tuscany do so because they find it is less touristic and it feels more relaxed and homely. Agriculture is still a family run occupation made up of small, well tended plots so a large amount of food on sale is locally produced. Wherever you are in Le Marche, you are rarely further than a few kilometres from a medieval town or hamlet that is filled with a rich history. This myriad of small historic towns and villages coupled with the long, golden coast make Le Marche a delight to both casual holidaymakers and property buyers alike.

“The buyers as a whole in Le Marche can be divided in three groups: some look for small farmhouses, others for townhouses, while a large percentage of buyers search for a large property by the sea. Le Marche covers a wide range of properties to cover all budgets. So, if your dream place is a townhouse in a medieval setting you could easily find something lovely for around 100,000 euros. If you’re after a renovated farmhouse some 30-40 kilometres from the sea you could be looking to pay as little as 300,000 euros,” Mircoli explains. “Then again, a large, beautifully renovated farmhouse closer to the sea could set you back a million euros and beyond.”

My Trip To The Frasassi Caves (Grotte Di Frasassi)e

I recently found myself with a totally free day which is a rare thing at the moment so my friends and I decided to make the most of it and check out the Frasassi caves (Grotte di Frasassi) in Genga, near Ancona in Le Marche, Italy.

Near to where I come from in England there are two extensive sets of caves in Cheddar and Wookey that are filled with great stories such as the witch of Wookey Hole and her petrified dog. I loved the caves as a kid for the same reason I love them now, because they are steeped in history and mystery and any other ‘stery words you can think of. For me, they are a glimpse into the unknown. So you can imagine how keen I was to check out Frasassi, one of the biggest cave networks in Europe.

I forgot to take my satnav in the car but knew that I had to take the Ancona Nord exit from the Autostrada (which is the same exit you take for the airport don’t-cha-know) and fortunately the caves were signposted from there despite it being at least another thirty minutes drive.
The signs were pretty good, and soon we were pulling up in a huge car park and I was quickly changing my t-shirt – yeah, gross I know, but it was a hot day…

Once I was suitably dried we walked away from the car towards the throng of people and… hang on…where are the caves? My friends and I looked around but all we could see were food stalls and souvenir shops. The obligatory tourist trap. I’m not joking, they were selling all the typical tourist junk that you just cannot live your life without buying. There were dragon statues, ‘Kiss the Cook’ type cooking aprons and even 2ft high garden gnomes. As you can imagine, it took all my self-control not to buy myself a photo frame adorned with shells… the power of the souvenir is strong, so be warned.

After a few minutes of browsing pointless knick-knacks we saw a short queue and the ticketing office… Bingo!

We were queuing for two minutes when a member of staff began asking if anyone in the line wanted to join the English-speaking tour. Our hands shot up and moments later we were being handed our tickets. Easy.

We were then led over to a small bus stop and told that the next bus to arrive is the one we need and to have a great time. It was only a short bus ride and soon we were walking up a small ramp towards the entrance to the caves.

A member of staff called us together in perfect English and asked us to wait outside a huge airlock-like door that looked like it was straight out of a science fiction film. Eventually the huge brown doors opened and we were strolling up a long and chilly corridor that was man-made, we were told, with drills and dynamite. Very cool.

Minutes later we were in the first of the five ‘rooms’. Now, I shall avoid as many spoilers as possible here so as to not ruin things if you decide to visit the caves but I will talk briefly about some of the things I was told and that I saw so if you don’t want to know anything about the tour whatsoever then you don’t want to read much further.

Also, you’re not allowed to take pictures while inside the caves so the pictures on this blog are from the Wikipedia page, just so you know.

THE FIRST ROOM is known as The Ancona Abyss due to the sheer, unbelievable size of the place. You walk in and you suddenly feel very small indeed which is not a feeling you really expect when you’re underneath the ground.

The tour-guide tells us that the room is so vast it could easily hold the Milan cathedral which pretty much says it all really. Walking further into the room we approach some huge pillars that are imaginatively referred to as The Giants. The guide explains that this room was the first room that was discovered and these Giants were the first things the exploring spelunkers (I love that word) saw. The guide then flashed her torch at a tiny stalagmite on a small plateau on the wall. I wasn’t all that impressed at the tiny thing until she explained that it is actually over 8ft tall and the distance of a football field away from us. Wow.

Towards the end of the first room she began showing us different kinds of stalactites. Some she called spaghetti (which is what they looked like) and explained that they are the beginnings of the larger stalactites, others that formed in waving crests that jutted horizontally from the wall she referred to as ‘bacon,’ as they really did look like breakfast rashers.

THE SECOND ROOM was not as tall as the first but was incredibly long with tonnes of small tunnels leading away from it, all lit up to further the mystery of the place. Inside (no spoilers) there were fantastic structures which the tour-guide named for us.

Much like the blob of rock in Wookey Hole that we are told is actually a petrified dog, so the story goes, we were shown many rock formations and asked to stretch our imaginations to visualise animals and shapes. To be honest, most of them were perfect.

Oh, also, in this room keep an eye out for the ‘Sword of Damocles,’ which is a particularly vicious looking stalactite.

THE THIRD ROOM felt much smaller and narrower than the previous two. We were stood on the man-made path and wound around this room for a while, walking past well-lit mite and tite formations that jutted from the walls until I chanced a look over the edge and saw that the below the bridge, the floor dropped away entirely into shadow. Once again, I felt very small. Further in this room we were shown more stalactite structures and eventually a very cool set of stalagmites.

They are called the Dining Candles as they all stick up randomly from the floor, surrounded by small puddles of perfectly clear water. The area was lit in a way that the whole thing almost looked romantic, a place you could sit with a loved one for hours. Either that or it’s the sort of place you would imagine elves frolicking, swimming and playing hide and seek, but perhaps that’s just me.

THE PENULTIMATE ROOM was a small one which again dropped away at both sides and we were shown a rock formation referred to as ‘The Polar Bear,’ which was absolutely brilliant.

THE FINAL ROOM was stunning. We were told that it is called the Infinity Room as it is said that the explorers got lost inside it for an entire day, unsure of how to get out or even how long the room stretched for. When you see it lit up and you’re given a convenient path, as we were, it doesn’t seem so complex. However, when you stand in this room and imagine having nothing other than headlamps to see by you can see nothing but a huge labyrinth of rock. The tites and mites in this room were truly phenomenal, ranging from huge and tall to tiny and plentiful; it was definitely a great way to end the tour.

I would definitely recommend these caves as a great day out. The tour itself lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes but afterward (if it’s a nice day) you can opt out of the bus and take the 20 minute walk back to the car park. It winds through the mountain ranges and takes you past the sulfurous river which obviously stinks but gives you a great opportunity to tease the people who you’re with about their terrible body odour.

When you do visit the caves – and you really should – then be sure to take a packed lunch or at least eat before you get there as the food that is available is unbelievably expensive. My wallet is still angry at me for paying 8 euros for a hotdog and a water. Crazy stuff.

For more information on the Frasassi caves check out the official website http://www.frasassi.com/ or feel free to email me and I’ll help you in any way I can. My email address is over on the MiaCasaMarche website.

Ciao for now.

Paul

La Casa Torre

You have to check out this Casatorre (tower house) restoration.

I was recently invited to the project to have a look at all the works and now that the place is finished it is just astonishing.

Such a beauty.

The tower restoration has been carried out faithfully by a local company who specialise in restoration. Where possible, they have used totally reclaimed materials with everything from beams and benches to tiles and stones being used to attentively recreate this fantastic piece of history.
I am also told that despite using original materials, this build has been carried out in strict adherence to the anti-seismic regulations introduced back in 2008 so the place is deceptively sturdy.

Those looking for an Italian property with charm and history should definitely consider something like La Casa Torre. Being a tower house it drips with history as tower houses were traditionally defensive fortresses with both residential and military purposes. They offered a strategic point of view for the local town, allowing the alarm to go up as early as possible in event of an attack. Obviously this was back in the Middle Ages so these days, rather than staring out of your window in fear of attack, you are graced with one of the finest vistas available. Not only is La Casa Torre a south facing property meaning full benefit of the sunshine but it is also surrounded by a stunning patchwork of rolling hillside. It really is gorgeous.

When guests come to visit you, you don’t only want to wow them with the views but also the history. I will try to give you a brief history from what I can remember the architect telling me at the site, sorry it’s not more thorough.

The Watchtower of Montedinove is said to have been built in the early 16 century after the establishment of the Presidium of Montalto (1586) by Pope Sixtus V.
The tower garrisoned Val Tesino and was placed near to the road, in-between Ascoli and Fermo.
It is mentioned in the Gregorian record of Montedinove and the archives of Montalto delle Marche in the 16 century . It was next mentioned in the mid 19 century (around 1850) during additional construction works to the tower.

If I haven’t convinced you already why you should take an interest in this property then it’s important to realise that this place is huge. The main building is 330 sqm with the basement alone being 40 sqm (which I couldn’t help thinking would be perfect for a wine cellar,) and outside not only is there an annex of 50 sqm but also 9000 sqm of land! It is pretty phenomenal to see.

La Casa Torre is situated just over one kilometre from Montedinove which is a small medieval town with a population of approximately 1200 people. It is a beautiful little place  with all necessary amenities such as a local supermarket, bank, post office, great bars and some fantastic, rustic restaurants.

The town of Montedinove is 13 kilometres from Ascoli Piceno which is not only magnificent but is also one of the five provincial towns in Le Marche region. The Piazza del Popolo in the town of Ascoli Piceno is particularly good for evening walks.

The sea and all the fast communication routes (such as motorway and railway) are 28 kilometres from Casa Torre. The beautiful blue-flag seaside is only a 30 minute drive away as are the skiing possibilities during the winter seasons.

If you’re interested in the property or want any more information feel free to contact us via our website by clicking here.

Paul

Also, thank you to Sergio for sending me pictures of the property. I guess that will teach me to check that my battery is charged before I leave the house to visit a property. 

The Grottammare Sunrise

I am told that on the night of 14 August every year people all over Italy flood as if in pilgrimage to the beach where they lay there and wait to welcome in the morning sun on 15 August. I decided that I wanted to be part of this great annual event so I drove down to Grottammare in southern Marche to join the throng. I wont bore you with the lead up to 5am and the massive amount of pastries I ate while waiting but I would like to share with you the spectacle I saw as the sun rose.
…..

Save for the echoed glare of nearby streetlights the world was so dark that it could have been any midnight time and I could have been anywhere. The sea was almost perfectly quiet and still except for the occasional sucking sound where the tide drew the creeping water back into itself.

For a long time I didn’t notice the sky change. It was as if one moment my view was infinite, I looked away and when I turned back it was rippled with thin seams of deep, dark blue. Streaks of a colour so slightly lighter that it was as if the coming sunlight was diluting the darkness in dribbles and drips. These veins of lighter sky grew, bleeding in to each other until the black had dissolved and the heavens above me were suddenly lighter except for at the horizon.
As the sky lightened the sea seemed to recede with it. Dragging backwards from the shallows, the colour of the sea changed in accordance with the reflection of the atmosphere until it was an almost liquid silver rippling gently. It was as if all colour was being sucked back in to the coming sun, like a singer sucks in air before he sings or a boxer might pull back before throwing the knock-out punch.

The sky and sea were a near perfect mirror by now except for a thick band of deep blue that still sat on the horizon. Like the sky though, this changed as cracks of a new light formed in the blue, from the horizon at first but soon touching the entirety of this coloured belt. Lines ripped through this blue clothing revealing an indigo skin that was disappearing as quickly as it had formed. The centre of the indigo strips faded to mauve to red and then to pinks to…
These rainbow fingers of colour thickened and spread until the dark blue was gone and the world was perfectly bifurcated with washes of pinks and oranges like some deific fruit salad.

These colours lingered for what felt like hours until something stunning happened. A ring of bright, orange-rimmed light burnt itself into the sky above the horizon. It seemed to come from nowhere, just suddenly sat there in the empyrean. Perhaps it was the way the colours bent the light but this new light appeared as a thin oval, a perfect golden halo, a crown.
For a short time the world seemed to fall silent until it happened. A thin disc of the purest orange erupted from the horizon. It was slow at first, teasing us, then suddenly it pushed up, blooming wider and brighter. At one point it was as if it would never stop growing. In moments though, it was up, floating higher into the sky and getting brighter; too bright. I had to look to the side and watch this god-like event fruit from the corner of my eye. I understand why the sun used to be worshipped as a deity. In the blink of an eye it changes the world in to something new.

The sun washed over me and as it did so I couldn’t remember that an hour ago I had been ready for sleep, I couldn’t remember what I had to do in the coming day; I couldn’t remember a lot of things. Yet this brief instant reminded me of all that is important in my life.
It was a perfect moment.

As I drove home, it occurred to me that this spectacle has happened each morning since I was born and I resolved not to leave it another 24 years until I witness the sunrise like this again.

I love Italy.

Paul

Great Potential Renovation In Offida

This place in Offida is an interesting one. Interesting in the fact that whatever you want to achieve with the site this building has to be torn down. The property is dilapidated; rippled with diagonal cracks and gaping holes but what you need to realise is just how huge this property is.

Massive.

It looks like two large properties joined together which leaves huge potential for grand designs.

So it needs work but you’ve got to realise that the property is not over looked by any neighbours, has stunning views and is a two minute drive from local shops, bars and a petrol station. It’s pretty perfect for someone looking to create a stunning, new home, B&B or hotel.

Looking at this place with an open mind, this could be a fantastic place.

Anyways. Have a great day.
Paul

Great Farmhouse For Renovation In Southern Le Marche

You have to see this old farmhouse that I got to see. It’s the complete package with a great intact place that’s in need of some TLC, unbelievable views and only one neighbour. Check it out.

Stunning huh? It could easily be two properties or a B&B and on the second picture, imagine putting a couple of balconies on there to take in the unblemished views from atop this hill.

And possibly the greatest thing about this great  detached property in southern Le Marche is that your only neighbour for miles is 30 metres away in an old converted church.

Truly stunning.

Ciao.