Macerata

17-19 September 2019

We are awarding Macerata a Mini Wow!

We define Wows and Mini Wows as experiences that offer an unusual surprise for us. This can be by the magnitude of the experience, by something we never knew before, or by the pleasantness or characteristics of people we encounter. Going beyond our expectations is a must.

So after arriving in Macerata and circling the town twice to find our hotel with no success, we stopped a young, pink-cheeked police officer for directions. Not only did he give us directions, he waited while we parked in a piazza and then walked us to the hotel lobby, chatting about the local museums and sites. He spoke English well and when we asked how he learned, he didn’t give the usual answer that he took 12 years of English in school and then learned to speak it by watching American television. Instead, he pulled out his phone, pulled up the ABC television app, and said he watched Good Morning America with Jenna Bush. (She is actually on NBC’s The Today Show.) Robert wishes he could do the same with a RAI app.

When we walked into the hotel, the clerk teased us about our police escort and then proceeded to walk with Robert to the car out in the piazza to drive it for us through the twisting alley to the hotel. We could not have had a better start to our stay.

Now let’s talk about Macerata.

Macerata is a city of 42,000 with a disproportionately large university student population of 13,000. The students do not dominate the town but they do congregate on several streets and in the central plaza, keeping things lively all day.

We happened to find the town’s terrific information center, open just a month, and told the fellow behind the desk that it was the best we had seen in Italy. Their displays went beyond the normal brochures by including local food, drink, books, road maps, and even videos. Because of the enthusiasm of the fellow at the desk, we learned that for 10 euros, we got access to all the museums, which are excellent, a guided tour of the several places closed to general admission, and entry to the unusual arena where they hold a famous summer opera festival. The art museum was great because it emphasized art by local artists. Impressive work. Macerata is doing well in promoting itself.

Before the trip some Italian friends frowned when we told them we were going to Macerata and asked “Why?” But we found Macerata a great place to visit. Instead of our two nights, make your stay three.

Wanderings

The restored planetary clock follows the measurements of time as when it was first designed in 1571. Note the movement of the planets.

Video!

Death and funeral notices. A familiar sight throughout Italy. Robert likes it.

The travertine promenade shines in the setting sunlight.

The medieval wall is intact and quite tall in some areas.

The weekly mercato takes place in both of the town’s two main squares and wraps around part of the city wall.

Sferisterio Opera Festival

A well-known opera festival takes place in Macerata every summer. The location is an elegant sports arena built in the 1820s. The distinctive half-circle design is simple, making the arena adaptable beyond its original function as a venue for a form of team hand ball. Architects take note. Today the stadium seats 2,500, making it possible to hire major talent to perform here.