At the ENIT headquarters in Rome, Confcommercio Umbria – Gubbio and Confcommercio Marche Nord presented the new program for the relaunch of the Contessa state road 452, the shortest route to connect the two regions, aimed at supporting businesses damaged during the 8 months of its closure.
An ancient territorial unit, two regions, a historic road whose reopening is to be celebrated with an ad hoc tourism project. Contessa: a door between land and sea it is the program of territorial marketing developed by Confcommercio Umbria – Gubbio and Confcommercio Marche Nordpresented today in Rome at the headquarters of the National Tourism Board by Barbara Marsili – president of Confcommercio Gubbio, Amerigo Varotti – director of Confcommercio Marche Nord, Barbara Marcolini – vice president of Confcommercio Marche Nord, Filippo Mario Stirati – mayor of Gubbio, Ivana Jelinic – ENIT CEO.
The project will be carried out thanks to the contribution of the Municipality of Gubbio, the regional tourism department of Umbria and the Umbria Chamber of Commerce, to enhance the areas crossed by the SS 452, better known as the Strada della Contessa: namely the artery that connects Gubbio and the north-east of Umbria with the Marche and the province of Pesaro and Urbino, whose closure due to major structural interventions has heavily penalized the restaurant and tourist activities in the area.
With the summer season upon us, the project to relaunch the area is based on the logic of experiential tourism and divided into three fundamental strands linked to the history and culture of the neighboring territories of the two regions: food and wine, historical-Renaissance And archaeological.
“Those identified are physical and ideal paths shared by two regions,” he underlined Barbara Marsili, president of Confcommercio Gubbio. “In a country like Italy crossed from North to South it often happens that the Center is bypassed, thus underestimating its potential and attractions. Here, we want to enhance all the excellence that exists in the area: starting from what we have in common.”
Thus, in the sign of an entirely Umbrian-Marche synergy, the The Countess’ menufood and wine circuits dedicated to the discovery of restaurants and local products between Umbria and Marche, such as crescia and friccò eugubini, white truffles from Gubbio and Acqualagna, favetta from Fratterosa and black cherries from Cantiano.
Also expected from mid-June to mid-September Gastronomic Week of (A)Sea: during which participating restaurants on the coast of Pesaro, Fano, Marotta and Gabicce Mare will offer, on agreed days, fish or meat menus at a special price.
But also the routes dedicated to the Montefeltro and Della Rovere families, lords of these lands: among many, Cycling in the land of the Duke, a series of tourist cycle itineraries between Urbino, Gubbio and Pesaro, and the one that leads from Umbria to Mondavio, dominated by the massive Rocca Roveresca. Because the Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, was born in Gubbio, the second city of the duchy in the mid-1400s: according to a Renaissance geography that goes beyond modern administrative borders.
In the ideal interregional fil rouge, The archaeological aspects will also be valorised. All to be admired are the Roman Theater of Gubbio and its Antiquarium, together with the collection of inscriptions preserved in the Civic Museum of Palazzo dei Consoli. To then continue along the ancient route of the Flaminia and discover the mighty Ponte Mallio in Cagli, the museum and archaeological park of Fossombrone (the ancient Forum Sempronii) and arrive in Fano crossing the Arch of Augustus.
