The central historical part of the city Ascoli Piceno (Marche Region, Itlay) with secular buildings in travertino.
Tag: marche
Lame Rosse and Fiastra lake
Lame Rosse is one of the most popular itineraries of the Sibillini mountains, along the wonderful Fiastra lake. This itinerary starts from the dam of the lake; After 1 hour walking, you will meet a little valley where the lame rosse rocks stand. Lame rosse are made of grit and clay and their particular shape is due to the erosion weathering. Have a look at the gallery of this magical itinerary.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D
Grotte di Frasassi (Frasassi Caves)
A not-to-be missed tour: Grotte di Frasassi (Frasassi Caves).
The visit to the Grotte di Frasassi is a must when you are travelling in the Marche region: situated in the Genga area, in Ancona, the karst caves system is composed by different halls (the Abisso, the biggest one is 180 meters lenght, 120 meters large and 200 meters high), all of them featuring magnificient stalactites and stalagmites, beautiful natural sculptures that are karst stratification created by the 190 milion years of water work.
The caves were discovered in 1948 by a group of speleologists from Ancona; at the beginning of the tour, just entering in the complex, a real breath-taking sight hits your eyes: the Abyss Ancona is the biggest hall, probably the biggest cave in Europe and it was the first part of the complex discoverd by the speleologists.
The other underground rooms, 9 in total but only 5 of them can be visited, are as beatiful and spectacular as the first one: the Crystallized Lake, the Niagara, the Little Fairy’s Castle, the Giants, the 200 Hall, the Grand Canyon, the Ursa’s hall, the Neverending Hall.
Don’t miss to visit this amazing and natural spectacle.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D
Pallotta Castle – Caldarola (Italy)
Caldarola is a small town in the Italian region Marche. The town includes the Castello Pallotta and the Pallotta Palace.
The castle is in remarkable condition both inside and out. It still contains the original paintings, furnishings, clothing, and early transportation vehicles, and also has a small private collection of medieval arms.
The castle is family owned and was lived in until comparatively recently so has warm feel.
Gear: Canon Eos 7D with Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM
Hell’s gorge and hermatage of St. Leonardo
The Hell’s gorge, in italian “Gole dell’Infernaccio” in the Marche region (Italy) earned their name in the days when this was one of the few routes through the Apennine mountains between Adriatic coast and Rome.
With long steep-sided gorges and wild mountains around, it was famous for brigands waiting to ambush travellers.
Today it’s a beautiful, peaceful and easy walk through deep wooded ravines, alongside a stream with wildflowers and dragonflies, which opens finally into cattle pastures leading up to the Passo Cattivo (Evil Pass).
There is an optional pathway to a small church, the hermatage of St. Leonardo (eremo di San Leonardo).
The church was built almost single handed by a monk named Padre Pietro, well-known as “The bricklayer of God”, who began the work in 1971.
He lived up there in total solitude, and unfortunately, Padre Pietro is deceased on august the 9th of 2015, at 88 year old.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D
Torre di Palme
The medieval village of Torre di Palme is one of the most interesting of the Marche region, in Italy.
It’s well preserved and distinguished by the uniformity of the buildings and the attention to detail.
You can enjoy also a beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea from the large terrace of Belvedere.
Gear: Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 16-35mm F/4L IS USM and Canon EF 70-200mm F/2,8L IS II USM
The Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto
Some HDR night scenes in Loreto (Italy), outside the Basilica of the Holy House.
The late Gothic Basilica has been built in 1469, around the Holy House, and the sacred site attracts as many as 4 million Catholic pilgrims and visitors each year. Some of the greatest architects of the time worked on the construction of this basilica, Bramante and Vanvitelli for all.
Inside the basilica, the Holy House is, of course, the main attraction. It is a small stone building measuring 13 x 31 feet, with traces of medieval murals on the inner walls. An ancient tradition tells that the walls of the Shrine existed in Nazareth, Galilea: the Holy House is the same House where Our Lady Mary was born, grew up and received the angelic announcement.
This tradition, based on devotion and popular belief, ascribed the transportation of the House of Nazareth to an angelic mission; current historical studies have developed the hypothesis of a transportation carried out by Man, through sea and land, that came true with special assistance from above. That’s the way “to read between the lines” and give the most probable explanation to the Holy House event.
Curiosity: outside the place of the Basilica you can see an Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN of aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Aeronautica Militare. In 1910, Our Lady of Loreto became the patron saint of pilots, because of the tradition of the house’s flight from Nazareth.
Gear: Canon Eos 6D and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM II
