Shopping Tourism in Marche

Made in Marche is the expression of a productive region that goes beyond Made in Italy. It is the pride of a region where craftsmanship and high quality products have always had a lond standing tradition. There are two main industrial districts: the textile district in the Ancona area and the footwear district - the largest in Italy - covering the provinces of Fermo and Macerata. These places are unmissable destinations for those who wish to buy quality products directly in outlet factory.

The pride of the Marche is leather working: the main shoe factories and companies producing bags, accessories, with factory outlets open to customers, are located in the Fermo area (Sant’Elpidio a Mare, Monte San Pietrangeli, Montegranaro, Porto Sant’Elpidio) and in the Macerata area (Civitanova Marche, Corridonia, Tolentino).

For men’s fashion – from coats to formal wear – the unmissables place are: Filottrano, a small town in the province of Ancona, and Matelica, in the province of Macerata. Young people can find fashionable clothes and shoes in northern Marche, mainly in Fossombrone and Sant’Ippolito.

The Marche region is famous for the large amount of handcrafted products, made with the same care that was used in the past. In many towns there are artisan workshops, shops and places where you can buy valuable objects. Urbania is famous for its fine Renaissance majolica and is still considered one of Italy’s main centers for artistic ceramics.

The little town of Montappone in Fermo boasts some 40 hat manufacturers. Federico Fellini's signature headgear came from here. Ascoli Piceno, Jesi and Fano have passionately carried forward the art of working gold and precious metals, producing splendid handmade jewelry.

Lace making is one of Offida's most common crafts. Women can still be seen, seated at their doorways in old town passageways, working with bobbins, threads of white or grey yarn and pins on designs of flowers and animals.

Fabriano paper has been manufactured and distributed throughout the world for over eight centuries. It was here that watermarked paper was invented and developed. Its paper is still used the world over for bank notes and quality art paper.

In Ascoli Piceno and Acquasanta Terme stonecutters and sculptors sculp in travertine and consider working with travertine as “a spiritual experience.”

Castelfidardo now styles itself the world capital of the accordion. The town still has a thriving musical industry and claims that the piano accordion was developed here in 1863 from the more primitive Austrian squeeze box. Nearby Recanati is popular for the production of guitars while Ascoli Piceno boasts different liuthers’ workshops.

Furniture manufacture is one of the most successful business in Pesaro area: many artisan carpentry workshops have developed over the time and have turned into a large and avant-garde production.

Wrought iron manufacturing is widespread throughout the region. Force and Comunanza are the places where coppersmiths continue a centuries-old tradition.

Acquaviva Picena is famous for the production of “paiarole”, that is, baskets made with wheat straw, wicker and various types of marsh reeds.

1. Between the provinces of Macerata and Fermo (Montegranaro, Sant’Elpidio a Mare, Monte San Pietrangeli, Porto Sant’Elpidio, Civitanova Marche and Corridonia) you can stock up on men’s and women’s footwear. Women’s footwear is embellished by precious and unusual materials. Men, on the other hand, can appreciate the comfort of the models, combined with a modern and convincing design.
2. Don’t miss a fascinating itinerary in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the ancient lands of majolica to discover the characteristic plates amatori, boccali, still produced by local workshops. In Urbania, the ancient Casteldurante, the tradition of majolica is still flourishing; it became famous in the 16th century thanks to skilled majolica makers. Today products you can buy there are truly innovative.
3. Montappone is one of the world’s most important centers for the production of hand-made hats. In the production district including also Massa Fermana, you can buy any type of hat, for any occasion.
4. Offida is famous for the laborious and patient art of lace-making. In the local shops you can buy high quality laces.
5. When you say Fabriano you say city of paper, of paper mills that today mainly produce paper for banknotes but that was once famous for F4 drawing paper. At the Paper and Watermark Museum and in the shops in town you can buy paper of any type for a personalized gift.

1. Made in MARCHE - 0-Km flavours and quality shopping

1. letsmarche.it/en