General Aspects: After the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a strong German presence in the region. For example, the Hohenstaufen Emperor, Frederick II held his power in the Marche. Florence viewed the people of the Marche as "fools" with "inborn avarice" (VIII.5). As Filostrato describes, the Marche people tend "to be mean-hearted, who lead such a frugal and beggarly sort of life that anyone would think they hadn't penny to bless themselves with."
(J. K., J. Q. & N. F.)