The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: June seventh, exploring the Italian Marches (mar kay).

Even urbane Italians can regard their country as a chaotic, over-sophisticated and often self-conscious place. Yet at least one province of Italy has retained its traditional charms and sense of values.

The Marches occupy a 100-mile strip along the Adriatic Sea, sharing the calf of Italy's boot with Tuscany and Umbria. Fashionable resorts and beaches line the coast. But inland, in less worldly towns such as Recanati, Pesaro and Loreto, discerning travelers can still find the traditional Italian virtues. Familial piety, respect for tradition and spontaneous generosity are all primary factors in daily life.

This time of the year, the rolling green hills of the Marches are bathed in hazy sunshine. Meadows that flowered with broom in spring have filled with poppy and will turn pastel with the coming of fall. The streets of quaint, brick-built hilltowns are paved with cobbles and perfumed by oleander.

Many consider Urbino the "jewel" in the Marches' crown. A perfect hilltown, ringed with ancient walls rather than modern suburbs, Urbino's turrets, spires and domes make it a model of Renaissance architecture. Its most famous building, the Palazza Ducale, was built in the late 15th century and decorated by the most brilliant artists of the day. It now houses a fine Renaissance museum. A lively university town, Urbino's jumbled streets are lined with Renaissance buildings and pleasant trattorias where one can easily wile away the afternoon. Though rigorous to reach, Urbino makes a good base from which to explore the Italian Marches.

FMI For info: Italian Tourism 212-245-5618 or www.italiantourism.com or www.le-marche.com

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