Marche is a region in central Italy, between the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea. The landscape is mostly hilly, dotted with villages and medieval fortresses. The name of this region is plural in Italian: it comes from the “marca”, the word used to define the fiefdoms on the edge of the Empire in the Carolingian Age. Among the most famous cities, Urbino is the cradle of the Marche’s Renaissance and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998, and it is where we can admire Piero della Francesca’s works. Famous for its shoe and paper industries, Marche produces great wines and cold cuts.

There are 13 PDO and PGI products in the food segment, for a production value of 20 million euro (source: Ismea, 2016). 49% of this value comes from meat products, with Prosciutto di Carpegna PDOat the top, and 40% from fresh meats, while cheeses account for 9%. Certified fresh meats (particularly, Vitellone Bianco dell’Appenino centrale PGI and Agnello del Centro Italia PGI) are worth over 6 million euro, mainly spread among the provinces of Macerata, Ancona, and Pesaro Urbino.