The Mesmerizing Marche (Part 1)

In this special series about the Marche region in central Italy, I am going to tell you how I discovered this wonderful region. It was the beauty of sunflowers that brought me to this off-the-beaten-path place. But it was more than just sunflowers that made me fall in love with Marche.

The Sunflowers

Marche is the neighbor of Umbria, which is right next to Tuscany. While many people may know very well Tuscany and Umbria, little is known about Marche. Even I did not know about Marche until one day I saw a picture taken there on Instagram. A picture of a beautiful sunflowers field in the summer. As a sunflower lover, I immediately contacted the Instagram account @discovermarche and asked for the exact location of the picture. Monia Scoccia, *the Marche expert and the blogger of Discover Marche*, was so kind to give me detailed information. She was also extremely hospitable as she hosted me when I finally visited the region.

The Holy House

The first place Monia took me to visit was the **Basilica della Santa Casa (Basilica of the Holy House) in Loreto. Monia told me that Loreto, the Vatican City, and Assisi were the three most sacred places in Italy. It was a privilege to learn about the history of the basilica from a knowledgeable and passionate local like Monia. The most fascinating I learned about the basilica was that it housed the Holy House of Nazareth, where the Virgin Mary was born. Legend has it that angels took the Holy House all the way from Palestine to Loreto.

The Little Capri

After the enlightening visit to Loreto, we went for a stroll in Sirolo, a delightful seaside town. The posh and relaxing atmosphere of Sirolo made it feel like the Island of Capri, said Monia. As we came around *aperitivo *time (between 6–9pm), we saw many locals dressing up and having a quick pre-dinner drink in the bars overlooking the sea view. It seemed like I was the only tourist there.

What other awesome things does Marche offer?** Find out more at The Mesmerizing Marche (Part 2).**