Art Pursuits 2022 brochure
Journeys of Discover with Art Pursuits
Journeys of Discover with Art Pursuits
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ITALY<br />
LE MARCHE<br />
Venetian Painters Abroad<br />
Church of Santa Maria de Portonovo<br />
As the name suggests, Le Marche is a border area, and for centuries their territories were fiercely contested. At the end of<br />
the Middle Ages this remote region of Italy was incorporated into the Papal States, though local lords and prelates were<br />
nominally left in charge. This manoeuvred Le Marche — especially their southern reaches — into an off-piste position<br />
in comparison with its more easily accessible neighbours of Tuscany and Umbria. Nonetheless, this land of ‘Sleeping<br />
Beauties’ is home to some great art and architecture, ranging from the extraordinarily elaborate pilgrimage site of Loreto,<br />
containing a Holy House miraculously transported to the town by angels, to the intensely mystical paintings of Lorenzo<br />
Lotto, who was invited to the Le Marche by the Dominicans. Lotto was in fact just one of a number of major painters<br />
from the Veneto who worked in the region at some point during their lives; these include such great names as Giovanni<br />
Bellini, Carlo Crivelli and Titian, who were often attracted by the opportunities offered by the region’s numerous small<br />
courts. Each hilltop town has its own distinctive atmosphere and beauty, ranging from the steep stony streets of Fermo<br />
to the grandeur of many-towered Ascoli Piceno, from the solid bastions of Jesi to the melancholy charm of Recanati,<br />
home to Italy’s greatest lyrical poet, Giacomo Leopardi. No-one gazing upon the delicate beauty of these hills crowned<br />
by their mediaeval towns and villages can be in any doubt as to the source of the poet’s inspiration.<br />
20 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com