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EDITION
THE MAGAZINE
Glasgow & West Scotland
The Borgo is part of a network of historic houses, often lived in by noble families or artists, called Le Marche Segrete and the Borgo helped arrange a special tour for us around some of these houses. We visited the beautiful Villa Sgariglia in Grottammare, the fascinating home of the renowned Italian artist Osvaldo Licini and the imposing Renaissance Palazzo Romani Adami in the city centre of Fermo where we also stayed for a night.
We then drove South to the Abruzzo region, which starts just on the other side of the river Tronto. The Sextantio Albergo Diffuso near L’Aquila, in the National park of Abruzzo, is a medieval village, which has been turned into a 28-room hotel, and it gives you the feeling of living in the rural middle ages, but with all the comforts of the 21st-century. Both regions were a real discovery, especially for food lovers. We enjoyed trying local specialities and matching them with regional wines and felt that we experienced authentic Italy.
We all love Italy and its wonderful food and wines, but sometimes the more touristy destinations like Venice, Rome and all the hilltop villages in Tuscany don’t feel like the true Italy any longer.
It is only a few kilometres from Ascoli Piceno, called the “travertine city”, which has one of the most beautiful town squares in Italy and you can easily spend a whole day wandering around, visiting some of the many museums and enjoying a lunch of Ascoli specialities, like the fried filled olives, at the Belle Epoche restaurant Meletti on the square.
Le Marche is one of the most culturally interesting Italian regions. It has the highest density of museums and galleries in Italy, with approximately 100 città d’arte, 106 castles and 71 important historic theatres. We visit Offida, an amazing medieval hilltop town with an impressive cathedral and theatre. It also has a fantastic vinotheque (called “Vinea”) showcasing Le Marche wines.
The food and wine produce in this region have maintained their authenticity and originality and you can visit many of the small, privately owned vineyards and can even take part in the olive harvest at the end of October.
The hills of Le Marche slope gently down to the sea and thick tropic-like vegetation merges into the sandy beaches of the Adriatic coast, where you can enjoy some of the best seafood in the country and a typical, but less crowded beach holiday.
We all love Italy and its wonderful food and wines, but sometimes the more touristy destinations like Venice, Rome and all the hilltop villages in Tuscany don’t feel like the true Italy any longer.
We have gone on a trip to discover some of the more hidden away regions of Italy. Our trip started with a flight to Rome and a drive east through the scenic Appenine mountains. The three-hour drive (about 180 km) on the ancient Roman salt road, the Salaria,(or alternatively on the A14 highway through Abruzzo) is certainly worth it, we arrive at our first destination the Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi and feel immediately at home. The romantic boutique hotel has six elegant suites in the main house, an ancient medieval fortress, which was adapted into a country residence in the 18th Century and is still lovingly cared for by the same family. There are also five separate apartments in a renovated farmhouse near the pool. The Borgo is surrounded by a historic park and lies on a hill along the river Tronto with fantastic views of the Sibillini mountains and the Adriatic coast.
Special offer to stay one night at the Borgo and one at the Sextantio including a suite for two and breakfast, and dinner at both restaurants costs € 500 for two (wines at dinner are not included, flights and car hire/driver not included). The offer is available until December 2012 (book at www.borgostorico.com.)
Flights to Rome from Glasgow with jet2.com, from Prestwick with Ryanair, from Edinburgh with Ryanair or via London with British Airways. Car hire from all main hire companies, pick up and driver can also be arranged.
