WHERE WE ARE
San Nicola is set in the beautiful landscape of Le Marche on the Adriatic side of Italy, situated on top of a hill just outside the small medieval town of Piticchio. The coast is about 30 km away, with the nearest beach at Senigallia, and the famous Conero Peninsula national park is a little further away. The area is full of fascinating places to visit, and we offer regular day trips. Steeped in history, and bathed in sunshine, fresh air and warm Mediterranean light, the renovated farmhouse buildings of San Nicola look out over rolling fields and olive groves.
San Nicola is easily reached by road, rail and air, with flights from London's Stansted to Ancona airport (about an hour away). International flights also serve Ancona and Bologna with easy internal flights or rail connections with Senigallia.
THE MARCHE REGION
Le Marche is a relatively-little known treasure among Italian regions. It runs from the Adriatic coast to the mountains, and it has everything: breathtaking peaks, beautiful beaches, modern cities, hilltop villages, and a gentle rural landscape where life has carried on almost unchanged for centuries. Among the highlights readily accessible from San Nicola are:
Ascoli Piceno – a fascinating city rich in Roman and mediaeval history
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/ascopic.htm
Corinaldo – a charming, mediaeval hilltop village
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/corinaldo.htm
Urbino - a Renaissance gem with an astonishing Ducal palace, still a vibrant university town.
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/urbino.htm
Loreto – a pilgrimage centre since 1507, with its mountaintop church sheltering a tiny house traditionally said to have been the Virgin Mary's Nazareth home, borne away from the Holy Land by angels in 1291.
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/loreto.htm
Frasassi Caves – these million-year-old limestone caverns in the mountains are filled with spectacular stalactites and stalagmites; one cavern is so huge that Milan Cathedral would fit into it.
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/frasassi.htm
Sybilline Mountains – a beautiful chain of mountains named after the ancient sybils or prophetesses, now a national park famous for its skiing, hiking and wildlife.
http://www.norcia.it/en/sibylline-mountains-national-park.aspx
Conero National Park – a peninsula of outstanding natural beauty, with breathtaking cliffs, walks and beaches.
http://www.parks.it/parco.conero/Eindex.php
Senigallia – a lively coastal town near to San Nicola, renowned for its Velvet Beach (Spiaggia di Velluto).
http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/senigallia.htm