Discovering the enchanting Esino-Frasassi area, rich in artistic, landscape and naturalistic beauties.
Would you like to create a precious sheet of paper with your own hands? Or how about giving in to the thrill of entering the fascinating world of caves, and then venturing into a fascinating speleological journey?
But maybe you might also be attracted to the idea of dedicating yourself, one evening, to an exciting "safari" to discover the animal species of the area. Or, who knows, you might want to stroll through the quiet streets of some of the most beautiful villages in Italy and relax in front of a green landscape, with a glass of fresh Verdicchio in hand and a plate of genuine cured meats to tickle the appetite.
In short, you are spoiled for choice if you let yourself be submerged by the precious and original surprises that the Marche reserves. In particular in the area of Mountain community of Esino-Frasassi (AN), between Fabriano, Genga and the Frasassi Caves, Serra San Quirico, Sassoferrato.
The mountain community of Esino-Frasassi
The area includes the Regional Natural Park of Gorge of the Rossa need I spoke. It extends for over 10 thousand hectares and boasts a true treasure of biodiversity, with numerous varieties of flora and fauna, in an intact, unspoiled natural setting, which allows you to make various excursions along the numerous paths. 35 trails for a total of 170 km, plus 12 mountain bike trails. To admire, with a bit of luck, the 105 species of nesting birds, 40 of mammals and over 1.250 plant species, some very rare, such as the Moehringia papulosa.
Soft hills, but also deep gorges, the result of river erosion. Here the Selino has created natural wonders, among which there are the unmissable ones Frasassi Caves, magnificent karst example.
Le Frasassi Caves
Over the course of millennia, an underground kingdom of great charm has been created, one of the largest and most important in all of Europe. The largest cavity is the Wind cave, so majestic that it could contain the Duomo of Milan !.
The path inside allows you to immerse yourself in a fairytale setting where, among stalactites and stalagmites, you lose the perception of real dimensions and are enchanted by the magnificence of nature. Such as happens in the spectacular Hall of Candles.
And if the classic guided tour is not "adventurous" enough for you, you can opt for the speleological one, accompanied by an expert and properly equipped. Then go through tunnels and labyrinths, also experiencing the thrill of listening to the pure silence of the cavities, interrupted only by the slow dripping of the water.
Jewels of the past
Not just nature, it was said. The territory is dotted with historic villages, fortresses, churches, monasteries, abbeys. One of the best known is that of S. Vittore delle Chiuse, one of the major romantic monuments of the Marches, not far from Genga. It stands on a hillock in the upper Esino valley, enclosed within the walls of the castle. It is also Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club, just like the delightful medieval village of Serra San Quirico, with its particular galley-shaped structure. You immerse yourself in a journey through history through the center, dominated by the fourteenth-century Torre del Cassero. And in particular, from the "cover", covered walkways close to the walls dominated by houses.
And here then Fabriano, a gem that in the historic center boasts the Palazzo del Podestà, the Sturinalto Fountain, the Civic Art Gallery, the Cathedral, the San Domenico Complex.
In the complex there is the Museum of Paper and Watermark. It tells about the evolution of the art and hand-working of paper. A tradition that dates back to the thirteenth century, as well as one of the most famous and important cultural realities of the Marche. Here you can also participate in workshops and courses to delve into this fascinating world.
It is also located in this territory close to the Umbrian Marche Apennines sassoferrato. Roman and medieval city known for Battle of Sentinum, called the Battle of the Nations, at the end of which, in 295 BC, Rome defeated the alliance of Gauls Senoni, Etruscans, Umbrians, Samnites, guaranteeing the dominion of Central Italy.
To retrace the past, you can visit the Church of San Francesco, the Archaeological Museum and the City of Sentinum Archaeological Park.
