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nocera umbra |
| Whether you make the fifteen-kilometre trip south to NOCERA UMBRA
depends on whether you're sticking with Umbria or heading on to Urbino
or Fabriano in Marche. This hapless little place was one of the worst
affected by the 1997 earthquakes - the centro storico was almost
completely levelled and will be under scaffolding for years to come.
Nocera, or what's left of it, could just as easily be seen from Assisi,
20km away to the southwest and served by plenty of trains. Essentially a
place for a flying visit - if that, at the time of writing - this is yet
another hill-town, middling by Umbrian standards and with a sizeable new
town on the valley floor to detract from its now battered medieval
charms. It's most famous for its mineral waters , which you can sample
at the public spa at BAGNI DI NOCERA , 4km southeast on the Colfiorito
road. The waters are exported worldwide, and have been renowned since
the sixteenth century, when people came from as far afield as Portugal
and Turkey, lured by reputedly miraculous cures. If you've got transport, the villages and hilly countryside to the east repay aimless exploration, and there's a scenic route over to Matelica (45km), midway between Fabriano and San Severino Marche, over in Marche . |