Marche: History

Question 1

Which is the only Italian region that is referred to in the plural form?

Answer 1

‘Le’ Marche

Several historically autonomous entities were joined together to create this very diverse region. This diversity is enhanced by several unique wine districts that developed through the years, each one strongly and unequivocally connected with its own traditional grapes.

Question 2

Describe the Marche landscape.

Answer 2

It is isolated from major auto routes and remains largely untouched by urban development. Gently rolling hills are dotted with many medieval villages. some overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The hills seem to rise straight from the water’s edge, gradually climbing towards the Apennines in a continuous rolling landscape of green vineyards, green woods, silver olive groves and yellow wheat fields. Marche’s gorgeous, long, flat coastline attracts summer tourists, but the peaceful and relaxing panorama of the inland hills and the region’s unique cities attract visitors as well.

Question 3

What is Marchigiani?

Answer 3

A term referring to the people of Marche.

Question 4

What type of grapes are grown in Marche?

Answer 4

The region has remained deeply attached to Italian grapes and has endeavored to rediscover and preserve ancient local varieties.

Question 5

Where does Marche get its name from?

Answer 5

The word marca derives from an ancient German term meaning “border.” It first appeared during the early Middle Ages under the rule of Germanic Holy Roman Emperors. A marca was the feudal territory ruled by a marchese (marquis) that formed a border between different kingdoms. During the early Middle Ages, the territories of modern-day March were considered the border of the Holy Roman Empire in that part of central Italy. The region acquired its current plural name in 1815 because of its historical sub-division into multiple marcas.

Question 6

What people inhabited Marche as early as 1,000 BC?

Answer 6

The Piceni tribe; their territory included Marche and the northern part of Abruzzo. Under the Piceni, the region was united and lived in peace.

Question 7

Who were the most likely influence on viticulture practices in Marche during ancient times

Answer 7

The Etruscans, who lived in nearby Umbria.

Question 8

What changed in the Marche region in the 4th century BC?

Answer 8

Everything changed with the arrival of the Senones, who were a Celtic-Gallic tribe from northwest Europe that crossed the Alps and settled in southeastern Romagna and the northern half of Marche. The Piceni were only able to maintain control of the southern half of the region.

Question 9

When was the modern-day Ancona founded and by what people?

Answer 9

Between the 5th and 6th centuries BC, Greek settlers from Sircusa founded the small coastal colony of Ankon (Ancona).

The Greeks promoted the development of viticulture and wine production and developed a flourishing maritime wine trade.

Question 10

How did the Piceni deal with the aggressive Senones?

Answer 10

The Piceni allied with the Rome in 299BC, together they defeated the Senones but the Romans did not withdraw after victory. They lingered in the territory, then established several colonies. The Piceni found themselves, once again, fighting for supremacy in their own land. Eventually, they had to submit to the will of Rome.

Question 11

How did viticulture in Marche fair under the Romans?

Answer 11

Viticulture continued to expand and the regional wine trade increased as never before.

Question 12

What happened to Marche after the fall of the Roman Empire?

Answer 12

A subsequent barbarian invasion led to a deep decline in viticulture and in the overall economic importance of wine.

Question 13

How did viticulture in Marche survive during the early Middle Ages?

Answer 13

Monks, who promulgated and improved upon Roman viticultural techniques.

Question 14

How did he emergence of the comuni (independent cities) influence Marche during the Middle Ages?

Answer 14

Comuni increased economic development. But as the population grew so, too, did the nutritional needs of the populace. This contributated to the restoration of vine culture. From this period onward, grape growing and wine making became a characteristic feature of Marche.

Question 15

When and why was mezzadria introduced in Marche?

Answer 15

Mezzadria was gradually adopted by the 14th century as a way to manage the region’s agricultural land.

Question 16

When did the Papal States begin to take control of some of the entities within Marche?

Answer 16

In the second half of the 15th century, but the process of establishing total Papal sovereignty over the region was not fully achieved until the 17th century.

Question 17

Who is Andrea Bacci?

Answer 17

A native of Matelica, he was a famous philosopher and naturalist. He was also the chief physician of Pope Sixtus V. The monumental essay “De naturali vinorum historia,” published in 1596, made him a central figure of Italian wine during the Renaissance period. In this extensive work he meticulously describes the viticultural and winemaking practices of the day and assesses the quality of the best-known Italian wines of the time.

Question 18

How did Marche fair under the control of the Pope?

Answer 18

The loss of independence was an economic blow. This period was one of recession and isolation. The downturn lasted for centuries.

Marche voluntarily joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

Question 19

What unfortunate event ravaged vineyards in Marche in the late 19th century?

Answer 19

Vineyards were ravaged by the triple scourge of oidium, peronospora ad phylloxera. Producers were forced to abandon many native grapes.

Question 20

When did Marche finally begin to recover after the Middle Ages?

Answer 20

After WWI; however, WWII brought destruction and another period of deep economic crisis. Post-war recovery was sow, but conditions improved rapidly in the last two decades of the 20th century.

Question 21

When was the turning point for Marche’s wine industry, allowing them to modernize and advance?

Answer 21

It began in the late 1960s and 1970s. Things improved with the end of mezzadria and coltura promiscua (mixed crop farming), the introduction of the DOC system and an increase in outside investment.

Question 22

Which area in Marche had a long-standing reputation for producing white wines from Verdicchio?

Answer 22

Castelli di Jesi; The wines themselves never got beyond Marche until the mid-20th century.

Question 23

How were the wines of Castelli di Jesi introduced to the rest of the world in 1953?

Answer 23

Wine producer Fazi Battaglia introduced Verdicchio in the famous green amphora-shaped bottle. This iconic bottle (inspired by Etrustcan amphoae) was immediately recogniazable and rapidly became the symbol of Verdicchio from Castelli di Jesi.

Question 24

How does the traditional style of Verdicchio compare to the modern style?

Answer 24

Traditionally, this wine was mostly vinified with some skin contact. Resulting wines were textured, deeply pigmented, full-bodied and characterized by a slightly oxidative character with a noticeable bitter finish
Modern version’s that heralded a shift in the 1950s were clean, refreshing and easy to drink. They were marketed as the ideal wine for seafood and became hugely popular.

Question 25

When did Castelli di Jesi achieve DOC status?

Answer 25

1968

Question 26

How was the image of wines from Castelli di Jesi hampered in throughout the 1970s?

Answer 26

Large companies, some of which were headquartered outside the area, mass-produced uninspiring and neutral wines made from high-yielding vineyards. These wines had little to offer beyond the unique and curious glass vessel used to bottle them. Ultimately, the famous bottle proved to be detrimental to Verdicchio’s image, as both the bottle and the grape became associated with simple, neutral wines.

Question 27

How did wines from Castelli di Jesi improve in the 1980s?

Answer 27

A new generation of producers becan to focus on quality. Producers lowered yields and crafted distinctive and long-lived Verdicchio. They clearly demonstrated the great potential of this grape by crafting fine, age-worthy wines.
Some of these producers include:
* Bucci
* Garofoli
* Sartarelli
* Colonnara
* Umani Ronchi

Question 28

Where does the famous Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi winegrowing district get its name from?

Answer 28

From a historic group of fortified, medieval villages.
During the Middle Ages, Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick II designated the town of Jesi as a “citta regio” (a city with special rights). He was born there in 1194. Over time, Jesi grew in power and gained control of surrounding villages and territories. These municipalities were known as “castelli” (castles) because of their hilltop fortifications.

Today, the district includes 22 villages: 20 in the province of Ancona and 2 in the province of Macerata. The historic town of Jesi is not actually incorporated into the winegrowing area.