One of the Most Suggestive Places in Italy – Candelara

On the road to visit special places in Le Marche a friend of the area recommended Candelara. The name already is interesting and unforgettable as it is like ‘candelabra’.

As I was on a sight-seeing tour with another friend we could not miss to see this magic place. Magic because it’s a very small village on a hill overlooking a hilly landscape and the nearby sea. And: it offers one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Italy.

It was more accidentally when I saw the sign and remembered that that was the place to go. Still in the morning and with beautiful sun under a blue blue sky we started to try to find a parking place. All along the street up to the village was fully packed with cars. We found a lot in front of a house with an elder lady and apparently many cats. I had a short chat with her and had to pay attention as she spoke in strong dialect.

It’s not too much I knew about this place. And it’s not too much to find about Candelara. It’s situated in a beautiful, hilly landscape just 7 kilometers out of Pesaro. 1,200 inhabitants sounds a lot, but that is for the whole fraction of Candelara.

The name is not sure where it comes from but for sure has to do something with bonfire, candles or a lighthouse. A little story tells that people lit three candles and where no wind could blow them out they would built a village. Nice story!

About history they believe that already in ancient times people lived up here on the hill. For sure Romans had a strategic fortification maybe with a guiding light. Emperor

Frederick Barbarossa found a secure place in 1176 within the fortified walls after the battle of Legnano.

Later Candelara shares the same story like the whole region around Pesaro and Urbino. Malatesta and Sforza are important names in its history.

The village lived mainly from agriculture, no real ‘reigning’ importance and had a castle, the Medieval village, a rural church (dedicated to Saint Stephen and still today a must see) and a villa nearby.

Candles are in the coat of arms but as symbol for the village they are only for 200 years.

Well, we entered the village paying a fee (I think 2.50 €). We walked down on the red carpet – of course, what would one expect other than a red carpet to walk on in an unknown village!

There was so much to explore: stands with lavender, candles everywhere in millions of colors and shapes, geese having a walk here, an elephant straight from Africa and handcrafts everywhere.

We were surprised to hear that the biggest production of liquorice is in Puglia, Italy. My friend tried different types (soft, hard, salted, sweet,without anything, as liquor…) – I didn’t, I don’t like it.

Sand between two glass panels running and forming always different pictures of landscapes or oceans, funny hats, jongleurs, the typical musicians with their zampognas (double chantered pipes) and much more was to discover.

My friend and I were so enthusiastic that we didn’t want to go away but wanted to see also another place. So after a few hours we left. More cars, more policemen and still sunny weather.

Candelara will be a sleepy place in summer when nothing happens here but around Christmas it is for sure one of the busiest places in the Marche.


Candelara, Le Marche/Italy:

For further information:
Candelara website (in Italian)


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