Macerata, in the region of the Marche, on the hills between the Apennines and the Adriatic sea, is a centre of notable historic, cultural and geographic interest. It is rich in renaissance and baroque architecture, and it possesses numerous monuments, churches, historic buildings, as well as some important museums. The city gave birth to Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), a Jesuit missionary who facilitated the first modern meeting between Western culture and Chinese civility.

The heart of the city is the Piazza della Libertà filled with buildings of historic and artistic importance: the town hall, the University which was established in 1290, the elegant “Lauro Rossi” Theatre which was greatly favored by Donizetti and Verdi, the 64 metre Clock Tower with its wonderful panoramic view, and the sixteenth-century Loggia dei Mercanti. Via Don Minzoni, an impressive road full of history and architecture, connects the main square with the other locations of major touristic interest, such as the prestigious Palazzo Buonaccorsi, the Civic Museum and the two most significant religious buildings: the Basilica di Santa Maria della Misericordia and the Cathedral Duomo di San Giuliano.

Another area of interest is Piazza Vittorio Veneto with the San Filippo Church and the “Mozzi Borgetti” public Library, one of the most important in the region. This elegant building preserves 350,000 books in its eighteenth-century rooms. In the Museum in Palazzo Ricci you can find an important collection of paintings and sculptures by the Italian ‘900 including works by Morandi and De Chirico.

The iconic Arena Sferisterio is a remarkable neoclassic structure, originally built in 1829 for a popular ball game played with heavy bracelets called il gioco del bracciale. Due to its architectonic composition and its perfect acoustics, it makes an exceptional open air theatre. In 1921, thanks to the Count Pier Alberto Conti, Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi, became the first opera to be performed in the theatre. This performance was repeated another 17 times and seen by more than 70,000 people. In 1967, after an interlude during the Second World War, the theatre started a new era which brought about the creation of “Macerata Opera Festival”: the annual summer opera festival which attracts audiences from all over the world.

The presence of the University and the Fine Arts Academy attracts numerous foreign students every year. The rich and animated cultural atmosphere in Macerata makes it an open and dynamic city. Macerata is always filled with extraordinary events: the music exhibition - “Musicultura” an event of national interest and including artists of national fame, the opera festival - “Macerata Opera Festival” at the Arena Sferisterio, which now takes its place as a first-class European location, the productions consisting of music, theatre and folklore of “ Macerata Estate”. Today, Macerata represents a focal point of touristic-cultural interest within the Marche region. Due to its central location it also plays a significant role in the union between the north and the south of the region, as well as the connection between the Sibillini mountains and the more prominent destinations of seaside tourism along the Adriatic coast.