The name comes from the Germanic term “marka,” used to indicate the various borderlands that formed in the territory over the course of history, and then were united, for common geographical, administrative, and historical reasons, into a single region, thus giving rise to the peculiar plural name, the only case among the regions of Italy.
The territory of Marche is predominantly characterized by gentle hills, which run from the Apennine ridge, gradually sloping down to the coast. The coastline, generally low and sandy, is interrupted by the rocky promontory of Mount Conero, the only significant elevation along the Adriatic coast from Trieste to Gargano, which divides the Marchigian shoreline into exactly two stretches.
On the northern slopes of Mount Conero lies Ancona, the regional capital. The name of the city was inspired by Greek exiles from Syracuse who founded it in the 4th century BC, taking its name from the peculiar “elbow” shape (“ankon” in Greek) of the promontory on which it stands.
