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Le Marche, an Italian region

June 5-12, 2026

Discovering Le Marche: Vineyards, Fields, Mountains and Sea

Le Marche, sometimes called The Marches, is an Italian region that is much less traveled than its regional neighbors. Oldways has been visiting Le Marche since 2000, always with the idea in mind of bringing a Culinaria to this region that has so much to offer. We asked a longtime friend and native of the region, “What’s the best month to visit?” “June,” he said.

So, June it is!

Le Marche, an Italian region

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Le Marche

A picturesque landscape featuring sheep in a green field beneath a cloudy sky.

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Le Marche

The title says it all. Le Marche is many things:  vineyards, fields, mountains and the sea. You’ll experience all of it during your week on the Oldways Culinaria in Le Marche.  

Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo – our hotel and home away from home – is both field and vineyard, producing wine and olive oil.  We’ll learn about wine from our hosts, as well as the Guerrieri family, who also produce wine and extra virgin olive oil, as well as pasta.  We’ll visit a pasta producer – Girolomoni (sold in the US) – and have the great experience of watching pasta production followed by an agroturismo dinner in a former monastery.  

We’ll continue our focus on traditional ingredients with an Oldways Festa (festival) up in the mountains.  With long distances and many winding roads, we’re bringing a number of traditional ingredients to a mountain town and creating our own food festival, aided by local chefs and Chef Michael Lombardi who is traveling with us.  Chef Michael will also teach us with a cooking class at Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo.  His knowledge, and that of our culinary guide, Alice Rossi, will be valuable every day as we encounter local products and experience special meals. You may think of autumn as the time of truffles, but in Le Marche, May and June are prime months for black truffles.  

Le Marche is not without its history – and we’ll be diving into history in both Urbino and Pesaro with a locally guided tour.  

What’s not to love?  Join us!

Day by Day

Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo
Day 1

Friday, June 05

Check into our home away from home – the lovely Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo – and take time to explore before our Introductory Session.  You’ll have a chance to meet your fellow travelers, and hear from the Saras from Oldways, Chef Michael Lombardi and our guide, Alice Rossi.  After the Introductory session we will walk to the winery for a tasting and then to the restaurant for our Welcome Dinner.

Day 2

Saturday, June 06

Today we’ll be up in the mountains in Mercatello — experiencing our own Oldways Festa — as an introduction to the ingredients and cuisine of Le Marche.  We’ll be learning about different products (cheese, meat, bread, polenta, beans and more!) and sampling them as they are turned into delicious dishes (our lunch!) by local chefs and Chef Michael.  Mercatello also has a 13th century Gothic church – St. Francis – that features a collection of notable paintings from the 12th to 17th centuries. You’ll be on your own for dinner – either at the hotel or taking a taxi into Urbino.  

A large pile of black truffles arranged on a wooden table, showcasing their rough, dark exterior
Day 3

Sunday, June 07

It’s truffle day! On Sunday morning we’ll be out hunting truffles, followed by a truffle-focused lunch at Lampino.  Before heading back to our hotel, we’ll stop for an aperitivo at an organic farm that produces spectacular whole grain breads and pasta. After a long day and plenty of food, you’ll be on your own for dinner at the hotel or in Urbino.

Palazzo dei Principi di Carpegna
Day 4

Monday, June 08

We will be driving to the mountain side village of Carpegna.  We’ll tour the Palazzo dei Principi di Carpegna, a historic palace, and will be welcomed by the descendants of the ancient family that has lived in the palace for over 300 years.  We’ll also be welcomed at Antica Stamperia, where we will learn about (and try) artisan handprinting on fabric. You’ll also learn how to make your own lunch – a piadina, a round flatbread hailing from the Romagna side of Emilia-Romagna.  We’ll return to the hotel after lunch and prepare for Chef Michael’s cooking demonstration and dinner.

Guerrieri, a producer of wine and olive oil
Day 5

Tuesday, June 09

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drive to the city of Pesaro, one of the major cities in the northern part of Le Marche, and the hometown of composer Gioachino Rossini.  We’ll have a guided tour of the historic center, and then you’ll have free time for lunch in the center or by the seaside.  After lunch we’ll drive to Guerrieri, a producer of wine and olive oil.  We’ll enjoy a wine tasting with a beautiful view, followed by a cheese tasting and dinner at a local restaurant.

Ducale Palace
Day 6

Wednesday, June 10

Today we’ll start closer to the hotel with a walking tour of the historic city of Urbino, including a guided visit to the spectacular Ducale Palace (not to be missed).  You’ll have some free time in Urbino to explore and have lunch on your own before we leave for a tour at Girolomoni Pasta.  We’ll have dinner at Girolomoni Locanda, an agriturismo and restaurant in a restored monastery, featuring organic cuisine. 

Wellness activities
Day 7

Thursday, June 11

Our last day is our day of options.  Choose one or enjoy a day on your own.  Options will include biking or hiking, horseback riding, wellness activities or a visit to a ceramics shop.  We’ll have a special dinner to say farewell to friends new and old.

A vibrant garden filled with a variety of lush plants and greenery under bright sunlight.
Day 8

Friday, June 12

We will have vans scheduled to go to the Bologna Airport or Train Station.  Sad to say, the hotel does not have any rooms available after our week together.  

Your Accommodations

Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo

We are completely taking over a gorgeous wine resort between the historic cities of Urbino and Pesaro in the northern part of Le Marche. Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo was formerly an ancient 18th century Borgo (small village) and has been lovingly restored to be a hotel, farm, spa, winery and resort.

The resort includes 30 sleeping rooms in six buildings that once were the ancient rural “Borgo.” The former barn was restored to create a Spa and Wellness Center; the farm includes organic production of wine, olive oil and honey; and the resort offers nature-based activities – biking, horseback riding, nature excursions, agricultural tours.

Meet the Chefs/Experts

Michael Lombardi
Michael Lombardi
Alice Rossi
Alice Rossi

Flight information
to Travel Destination

Flight information
to Travel Destination

The Region of Le Marche – undiscovered by most foreign travelers – does not have a major international airport.  Instead, we (and our hotel) suggest that you use the Bologna Airport (Airport code BLQ).  As part of the Culinaria fee, we are including transportation from the Bologna Airport or Bologna Train Station to our Hotel, as well as to the Bologna Airport or Train Station from our hotel at the end of the Culinaria.  

We will offer transportation from the Bologna Airport to the hotel several times during the day on June 5th.  Our hotel does not have any rooms available before or after our week, so if you like to arrive a day or two before the official start, we suggest that you explore Bologna or other nearby cities.  Thereby, we will be able to arrange transportation for you from Bologna on June 5th.  

To fly from the US to Bologna, you will need to connect in a major European city.  Most international carriers fly to Bologna.  

If you choose to fly to Rome, Milan or any other city in Italy other than Bologna, we are sorry we cannot offer transportation from those cities.  Transportation to/from Tenuta Santi Giacomo e Filippo is available only from/to the Bologna Airport or the Bologna Train Station.  

Pricing & Registration

A decorative plate

Pricing & Registration

Discovering Le Marche: Vineyards, Fields, Mountains and Sea

Please click below to register using our online registration form, which includes instructions for how to submit the form and deposit to Oldways.

Prices are based on rates of exchange, taxes, and other costs as of the tour publication date. We reserve the right to correct errors and changes, and to increase program prices to cover increased costs, taris, and taxes received after prices are published and to reflect currency fluctuations.

  • Price per person is $6,190 with double occupancy
  • Single supplement is $500
  • If this trip must be cancelled due to COVID-19, refunds will be issued.

Trip Insurance

Accident Insurance

Oldways has procured accident and evacuation insurance for all Culinaria participants while traveling on one of our Culinarias with an Accident & Health policy from The Hartford. Click here to view Oldways Certificate of Accident Insurance.

Please let us know if you need more information about the insurance.

Travel Insurance

While we cannot offer travel insurance for the cost of the trip or your air travel, here are three widely used travel insurance companies:

Allianz

Travelex

Travel Guard by AIG

More Upcoming Trips

For More Information

For additional questions, please reach out to [email protected] or contact Abby Sloane at  617-896-4875.