Interesting places in le Marche: Elcito
As you know by now, Marche have many interesting places worth a visit and Elcito is one of them.
Once a tiny village, now Elcito is almost a ghost town, with only 10 people living there. The reason of this was due to geographical isolation and the search for fortune in the nearby coast by the inhabitants.
However not everything was lost, in fact. Nowadays Elcito has become a must see location for people who love nature and peace.
Origin of the name Elcito
The particular name Elcito derives from elce, otherwise known as holm oak (Quercus ilex). Although the holm oak is typical of the Mediterranean scrub, it is likely that there could have been residues in the rocky gorge below the town, with its particular microclimate.
Curiosities about Elcito
What makes Elcito an interesting place to visit in Le Marche is also it’s peculiar story.
Locals call this tiny village the Tibet of le Marches because of its location. Its perched on a rocky spur 824 m high on the slopes of Mount La Pereta. Historically there was a castle built to defend the Benedictine abbey of Valfucina. However today almost nothing remains of the castle and its glorious past.
Elcito detain also a curious record: It’s the most silent place of Italy. If you come here outside of tourism season, you can only hear the sound of wind. And yes its pretty wind up there!. Every house is built with rocks and windows are super small to better maintain heat. Winters are usually pretty snowy and windy.
Another curious fact about this interesting place is that in Elcito there has never been an emporium or a shop. Not even for basic necessities. This is because until the seventies it was a self-sufficient community: there were two hundred people who had an intense relationship with their land, the primary source of subsistence.
Today, The village is frequented especially in summer by the owners of second homes in San Severino Marche. Elcito is also frequented by lovers of motorbikes. These tourists, the majority from nearby provinces, drive here to admire the beautiful landscape.
What to eat in Elcito
After visiting the village you might want to rest a little and enjoy some delicious local food. Elcito has only one small shop and its called: Cantuccio. The owners are a young couple of locals who decided to open this place in addition to their full time job.
The decoration is pretty spartan, but don’t let this discourage you!. Their crescia and their cold cuts are heaven made treasures. Even now, while writing I started salivating…
My suggestion is to order a cheese and cold cut platter along with crescia, and accompany it with some good local beer!
With it’s peculiar location and breathtaking panorama, Elcito is one interesting place in le Marche nature lovers can’t avoid.
