Il Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini
Macerata
At 314 m altitude, on one of the hills that separates the valleys of the Potenza and Chienti rivers, the town stills conserves part of its 14th century wall.
A walking tour will bring you to the Porta Montana, the Church of Santa Maria della Porta, the five-arched Fonte Maggiore in the centre built in 1326.
Don’t miss the elegant Loggia dei Mercanti, San Giorgio church and the cathedral, both by Cosimo Morelli, and the small basilica of the Madonna della Misericordia, set between more recent buildings, dating back to 1497 but with the interior and facade completely restored with balanced refinement by Vanvitelli (1742).
Macerata offers charming hill town scenery and one of Italy’s most famous opera festivals and several days’ worth of sights. While the Picena tribe settled the area as a trading centre 3000 years ago, its largest draw these days is the Arena Sferisterio, which holds the opera festival in July and August.