What to see in Recanati, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including Palazzo Leopardi, Beniamino Gigli Museum, Silvia's house and Colle dellinfinito.
Tourist information
In the hills, between the valleys of Musone and Potenza in the Marche region in the province of Macerata, lies Recanati, an ancient town dating back to the sixth century BC, which first became a fortification in the late empire and then the domain of the Lombards, before moving to the Papal States.
In the twelfth century it became a municipality, in 1415 it was the residence of Gregory XII, at the time of the Western schism.
Furthermore Recanati is famous for being the birthplace of the poet Giacomo Leopardi and the tenor Beniamino Gigli.
In the nineteenth-century Palazzo Comunale, on the second floor, the Pinacoteca Civica and the Beniamino Gigli Museum are housed.
In the art gallery, among other paintings, there is a remarkable polyptych by Lorenzo Lotto, while in a room dedicated to Giacomo Leopardi some memorabilia of the poet are exhibited.
In the museum are kept costumes, photographs and diplomas of the famous tenor.
In Piazza Giacomo Leopardi there is the Torre del Borgo, 36 meters high with Ghibelline battlements, raised in the second half of the twelfth century to celebrate the fusion of the ancient castles in a single municipality, and the monument to Giacomo Leopardi.
The Church of San Domenico, of Romanesque origin but rebuilt in the fifteenth century, has a remarkable marble portal from 1481 and an eighteenth-century interior where there is a fresco torn from the wall made by Lorenzo Lotto.
The Church of Sant'Anna, dating back to the fifteenth century and rebuilt in the eighteenth century, contains a miniature of the House of Loreto.
The Church of San Filippo, with an eighteenth-century facade, has a Baroque interior.
Recommended readings- Fossombrone (Marche): what to see
- Marche: Sunday day trips
- Fermo (Marche): what to see
- Marche: what to see among valleys, hills and ancient villages
- Osimo (Marche): what to see
What see
The city walls, equipped with two defensive towers, were erected in the early fifteenth century by the Sforza family.
Inside the Church of San Francesco, dating back to the thirteenth century and reworked in the following centuries, the Resurrection and the Immaculate Conception are preserved, two works created by Palma the Younger.
The Cathedral, built at the end of the fourteenth century on top of a previous church, has an interior with three naves with a basilica plan.
In the Diocesan Museum, which is housed in the Episcopio, dating back to the fourteenth century and placed next to the Cathedral, paintings from eras between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries are preserved, including a Holy Family by Mantegna, a Saint Lucia del Guercino and a polyptych by Ludovico Urbani from 1476.
The 12th century Villa Colloredo includes a large park where there is an aquarium, a zoo and a museum dedicated to natural history.
The Palazzo degli Studi, built in the fifteenth century on a design by Giuliano da Maiano, was remodeled in the eighteenth century.
Palazzo Roberti stands out for its Baroque facade and staircase.
To see the complex of Sant'Agostino, including the thirteenth century Church, where the remarkable fifteenth century portal built by Guliano da Maiano stands out, the former Monastery and the Cloister, from which it is possible to admire the bell tower, indicated as the Tower of the Sparrow Solitary in Leopardi's poetry.
The Church of San Vito, dating back to the eleventh century and subsequently enlarged, stands out for the facade, made of brick according to Vanvitelli's design, and for the interior, where precious paintings are preserved.
In the eighteenth-century Palazzo Leopardi, it is possible to visit the library, where Leopardian works are preserved, including some original poems, in addition to the portrait of the poet.
Adjacent to the building is Silvia's house.
The Colle dell’Infinito, which was one of Giacomo Leopardi's favorite walks, mentioned in some poetic verses, is dominated by the Monastery of Santo Stefano.
