Marche ecclesiastical region

The current Italian administrative region of the Marche is divided into four provinces (Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata, Pesaro-Urbino);
includes 246 municipalities, of which just under half (120) are part of one of the twelve mountain communities (6148 km2). 31.2 percent are mountainous areas, and 68.8 percent are coastal hills. The region is highly seismic;
230 municipalities are at medium level seismic risk, that is 96.5 per cent of the territory and 93.7 per cent of the population is exposed to a situation of constant danger;
the last violent earthquakes occurred in 1972 (Ancona) and 1997. These episodes affected many economic and ecclesial activities;
in 1997, earthquakes made most of the churches in the dioceses of Fabriano and Camerino unusable, with serious damage also in other dioceses of the Marches. A substantial part of the population, economic activities (industrial plants) and the main communications infrastructures (airport, motorway, railway) are concentrated along the coastal strip (Adriatic);
instead the inland areas are marked by an increasing abandonment. The layout of some roads depends on the ancient Roman roads, mainly the Via Flaminia. A remarkable hydrographic system flows from the Apennines to the Adriatic. The main rivers are the Esino, the Chienti, the Foglia and the Tronto. In general, some modest coastal ports of the middle Adriatic marked by a rapid demographic development, unlike the ancient cities, became common: this is the case of Falconara Marittima, Porto Recanati, Porto Civitanova, Porto San Giorgio, Grottammare, Cupra Marittima, San Benedetto del Tronto. The new name of "brand" (in the meaning of frontier) appeared in the 10th century, with the emperors of German descent;

They are then the brand of Ancona, Ascoli, Camerino, Fermo. Ancona was added to some minor municipalities (Fabriano, Matelica, Osimo, etc.), with a commercial activity towards the East, prior to Venice. The territorial extension is artificial and arbitrary;