The Marche has more historic theatres per head than almost anywhere in Italy. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, almost every hill town built its own opera house, often paid for by local families who then owned their boxes, like apartments in a condominium, and passed them down through generations. The result is a network of jewel box theatres in small towns, with tiers of boxes, painted ceilings and gilded stucco, many of them restored and still in use. San Severino Marche, a few kilometres away, has the Teatro Feronia, one of these, and the network of such theatres across the region has been put forward for World Heritage recognition.
San Severino itself is a lovely town, with an elongated piazza ringed by porticoes, the Piazza del Popolo, and an old upper town on the hill with a cathedral and tower. The Pinacoteca has works by the local painters Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni. Matelica, to the north, is known for its white wine, Verdicchio di Matelica, and Castelraimondo for its medieval tower.
The landscape here is the heart of the Marche: rolling hills of wheat, sunflowers and vineyards, with the Apennines rising to the west and the Sibillini mountains to the south. The hill towns are close together, each on its own ridge, and the roads between them are a delight.
For riders, the Marche is one of the best kept secrets in Italy. The roads twist over hills and through valleys, with good surfaces, light traffic and endless views. The Sibillini, an hour's ride south, offer mountain roads of real quality, including the climb to the Piano Grande at Castelluccio, where the lentil fields bloom in early summer. The area was hit by earthquakes in 2016, and some roads and villages are still being repaired, so check routes.
San Severino Marche covers the practical side, with pumps and places to eat, as do Matelica and Castelraimondo. Local food includes vincisgrassi, a rich baked pasta, ciauscolo, a soft spreadable salami, and porchetta. A night at one of the old theatres, if there is a performance, is a memorable way to end the day.