The Sferisterio in Macerata has 104 boxes. It was built between 1820 and 1829 at the initiative of a group of wealthy citizens; during the summer seasons, it hosts opera performances and major music events. Here, 19th-century architectural history meets a seasonal cultural programme. If you would like to include an event in your trip, check the dates for your travel period.
Art at Palazzo Ricci and Palazzo Buonaccorsi
The museum collection at Palazzo Ricci comprises more than 350 paintings and sculptures. On the piano nobile is the Salone delle feste, decorated with a cycle of artwork inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Self-guided visits are free during the museum’s opening hours. Check the current museum hours before planning your visit. The collection and the hall offer different ways to explore: here, the focus is on paintings and sculptures; there, on the design of a particular reception room and its literary inspiration.
The Palazzo Buonaccorsi museum complex includes the Museo della Carrozza, sections devoted to ancient and modern art, and the Galleria dell’Eneide. While Palazzo Ricci is defined by its collection and the Salone delle feste, the Buonaccorsi complex brings together several named collection areas. This offers two different ways to discover how art and its presentation take shape in Macerata.
City walls, tower and walks
Macerata’s historic walls were built in the mid-14th century at the behest of Cardinal Albornoz. The Torre Civica has a long construction history: work began around 1492 and was completed in 1653. The four gates into the old town lie along the city walls and can be explored on a pleasant, level walk. This gives you the option of seeing the gates on a walk rather than only as individual structures.
Another walking route, Le quattro porte, offers views of the Sibillini Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. For a different perspective on the landscape, a park on a hill in Montalbano, on the outskirts of Macerata, overlooks the Potenza and Chienti valleys. The two viewpoints offer different vistas: one of mountains and sea, the other across two valleys.
Roman remains and distinctive places
Helvia Ricina became a Roman municipium around the middle of the 1st century BC. Roman stones, pieces of marble and several funerary inscriptions are displayed in the theatre. The dating places the site in its historical context; the materials and inscriptions on display add tangible evidence to this historical picture.
Since June 1993, the Natural History Museum has been housed in the basement rooms of the historic Palazzo Rossini Lucangeli. The Ecomuseo Villa Ficana also offers a distinctive perspective on the built environment: it is a village of houses made of earth and straw on a hillside on the outskirts of Macerata. These materials provide a different contrast to the palazzi and the Sferisterio, revealing another facet of the area’s history.
The Appassionata concert series offers another connection to music. The 2026 programme announces its 19th season in Macerata and includes, among other venues, the Teatro Lauro Rossi and other locations around the city. The concert series thus sits alongside the Sferisterio’s opera performances and music events, which are tied to the summer seasons, although the two music offerings are not the same format. If you would like to attend an event, check the dates for the relevant programme year.
Discover more destinations
Civitanova Marche, Grottaccia, Macerata, Montelupone, Ripe San Ginesio, Tolentino, Camerino, Mogliano Macerata, Pioraco, Porto Recanati, Belforte Del Chienti, Potenza Picena, Monte San Martino, Treia, Sarnano, Recanati, Nemi, Castelraimondo, San Severino Marche, Gualdo, Fiastra, Matelica, Serravalle Di Chienti, Cingoli, Monte San Giusto, Corridonia, Civitanova Alta, Stazione Morrovalle, Montecassiano, Passo Di Treia, Muccia, Montefano, San Ginesio, Penna San Giovanni, Loro Piceno, Montecosaro, Pievebovigliana, Bolognola, Frontignano, Urbisaglia, Cessapalombo, Porto Potenza Picena, Apiro, Borgiano, Appignano, Monte Cavallo, Colbuccaro, Sant'angelo In Pontano, Croce, Pollenza, Castelsantangelo Sul Nera, Strada, Massa, Sant'egidio, Visso, Macina, Palazzata, Caldarola, Capriglia, Alfi, Sefro, Morrovalle, Pieve Torina, Gagliole, Molino, Petriolo, Torrone, Avenale, Colmurano, Pintura, Santo Stefano, Trebbio, Contrada di Forano, Frontale, Serrapetrona, Esanatoglia
For the main travel overview: Marche.
