Marche is a region exemplifying a thoroughly anthropized landscape characterised by a widespread presence of suburban hilltop villas whose rural activity is deeply interconnected with the city.

The name of the region – Marche, plural for “border areas” – is indicative of the multiple historic phases this area has experienced as well as of its geomorphological peculiarities with rolling hills unfolding perpendicularly to the Apennine ridge: from the Montefeltro gardens and the residences of the Roveresco area of Colle San Bartolo (Villa Imperiale), creating an authentic territorial system of great interest that during the Papal domination saw the appearance of significant Baroque additions (Villa Caprile), to the countryside estates of the aristocratic families of Ancona along the more intensely cultivated valleys characterised by extensive formal gardens with highly scenographic effects integrating with the architecture, sculpture and vegetation (Villa Bonaccorsi), all the way to a number of 19th century villas attesting the spread of English-style landscape gardens (Villa Collio).