Macerata

Macerata

Central Italy

Marche

Macerata (province)

Macerata Macerata is a city in Marche Region in . It is known for being the place where the Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci was born.

Macerata is most easily accessible using Italy's efficient trains. Whether you are arriving from the north, most likely through Bologna, or from Rome, you are going to have to transfer from the faster, larger trains to smaller, regional ones. Information about train fares and timetables are easily found online. Tourists to Macerata can also arrive by car. This might be a more desirable option if you are staying outside of the old city walls, or have a limited amount of time in the city, and want to see many sites in that short time.

Macerata has a bus system that will take visitors to harder to reach places outside of the walls in the newer parts of the city. However, the most efficient, and in many ways more pleasant, way of seeing the city is to walk. Macerata is an old Medieval town with the center of the city high on a hill. The old part of town is completely walled in, with the newer parts of town lying outside of the walls. Walking the old part of the city is easy in one day, but there are many alleys and side streets to get lost in, which you should allow yourself to do. Macerata is not very easily accessible for those with disabilities, as there are a lot of stairs in the old part of town.

You have probably never heard of Macerata because it doesn't have the kinds of attractions that draw visitors to the city. Macerata is alluring to the tourist who wants to experience life at an Italian's pace. It is a small, laid back city with very little tourist activity. Every summer in Macerata, many Italians and some tourists flock to Macerata for the Sferisterio Opera Festival , which is widely renowned in the region.

The highlight is the Sferisterio Opera Festival (July–August), held in the magnificent 2,500-seat neoclassical Arena Sferisterio, built in the 1820s. The arena is renowned for its perfect acoustics and has hosted legendary performers from Pavarotti to Nureyev. Visit the Palazzo Buonaccorsi, home to the civic art museum with masterpieces including Carlo Crivelli's Madonna and Child, and the Carriage Museum. Explore the medieval city walls, the Loggia dei Mercanti, and the University of Macerata (founded 1290). The Macerata–Loreto night pilgrimage (first Saturday of June) is a striking local tradition.

Macerata's cuisine reflects the inland Marche tradition. The emblematic local dish is vincisgrassi alla maceratese, a rich layered baked pasta. Ciauscolo, a soft spreadable cured sausage (PGI-protected), is a staple antipasto. Other specialties include frascarelli (flour-and-water dumplings), trippa alla marchigiana (tripe stewed with tomato), and coniglio in porchetta (rabbit with wild fennel). Crescia (Easter cheese bread) and scroccafusi (carnival fried pastries) are traditional baked goods. Local wines include Verdicchio and Rosso Piceno.

Murola , Via Villamagna 9, Urbisaglia . Wine has been produced here since the beginning of the 21st century. For a small fee, several wines can be tasted. ( updated Oct 2015 )

Hotels, guesthouses, and bed-and-breakfast establishments offer accommodation. Advance booking is recommended during peak season.

Local shops offer regional products, handicrafts, and everyday necessities. Markets may be held weekly in the town square.

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