3585 Visso, Muccia, and Camerino

We have some dedicated marchigianesi here, so I will just mention for "us Umbrians" a few places we might (inadvertently) miss on our journey into Le Marche.
Camerino is another little visited gem of Le Marche. Not a big town, but home to an Italian University, and very vivacious with all the students, a very pleasant mooching about sort of place, with lots of good buildings.
Visso I will always remember with affection - I went to see the Mille Miglia pass through this small town some years ago, and all of the local schoolchildren had been given a Mercedes flag, and pressganged into lining the route of the rally. Delightful - and made even more so by a Ferrari setting itself mildly on fire in front of us all in the Piazza! It is a small town which is enclosed by rapidly running rivers, and it is really quite noisy with the sound of all the running water (this was in a wet May, maybe it is quieter in the dry season). I remember driving south into Visso from Muccia, and admiring the trout farms in the valley on the way down.
Muccia is another delightful small place, with a very good restaurant called Il Cacciatore, and some beautifully restored buildings - again lots of water moving about, and the preferred location for "us Umbrians" to meet "that Marche mob" - being about half way between the two gangs.
The area which I am talking about here is quite unadulterated natural landscape - nothing spectacular, but absolutely honest stuff with gorges, rivers, snow poles on the uphill stretches - comfortable in spring and summer, but with an edge which implies "don't mess with me, you mere human". I like that............landscape with attitude!

Category
Do & See

Camerino has an interesting history and was a strategically important stronghold during Roman times. The Umbri Camerti settled here (the name comes from Kamars or rock), and its claim to fame is that Cesare Borgia, who conquered Camerino, ordered the brutal murder of Giulio Cesare of Varano and three of his sons. You can still see the eerie Rocca di Varano perched high on its rock just to the east of town. The Duke of Varano’s Palazzo Ducale (located in Piazza Cavour in the centre of town) is now used by the University.

Apparently Camerino is also a centre for studies in the paranormal.

The area, especially to south, is quite rugged and mountainous, but the scenery is not as spectacular as the Montefeltro.

Rocca di Varano

Well - had I known it was renowned for paranormal studies..........:) :)