Iva S. Youkilis

With the Summer Institute in Italy, we traveled to Florence, Rome, and Castelraimondo, a small but lively city in the hills of Marche. This beautiful region of east-central Italy is situated alongside Tuscany and Umbria. Pronounced "lay markay," the name is sometimes translated into English as "The Marches," and it comes from the Frankish word for “frontier.” Tucked between the Adriatic Sea and the high Apennine mountains, much of it remains unspoiled by the ravages of mass tourism. While the Adriatic coast has been a mecca for "sun ’n sand" tourism for centuries, perhaps more so than anywhere else in central Italy, you will find places where time really has stood still. Vast stretches of green hillsides accented with native trees and flowers, centuries-old town and villas will greet you as you travel, providing breathtaking photo-ops and indelible memories.