Macerata

Macerata and King Enzo
In July 1239, Frederick II appointed his son Enzo vicar in the Marca, and the diplomatic and military dexterity of the young Swabian led important cities such as Jesi, Macerata, and Osimo to return to side with the emperor.
Later, Enzo set up his camp in Macerata intending to conquer Montecchio (now Treia), a near impregnable bastion of the pope. During this gruelling two-month siege which ended unsuccessfully, the Macerata people were rather lavish in assisting the Swabian troops, and as a reward, in November of the same year, Enzo granted the city some privileges and castles, such as that of Casale (near San Claudio, which Macerata had already destroyed in 1212), the castle of Nuncastro (of which no traces are left, but in the territory of Montecassiano), and the castle of Miligano in the area of Treia. The city thus expanded its influence beyond the Potenza river with a consequent demographic increase due to the relocation of many inhabitants of the castles within the walls.
Macerata was also granted immunity and free trade in all ports, along with the ban of imposing taxes on the city higher than 25 Ravenna pounds. The only requirement was to provide soldiers to the imperial army whenever it camped in the area.
This privilege was later confirmed in the castle of Melfi, in August 1249, by Frederick II himself. The document is now in the State Archives of Macerata with a yellow wax seal depicting the emperor with the globe and the sceptre.

A journey through Macerata’s history and art
Along the Via Flaminia, on the banks of the Potenza river, there was the Roman city of Helvia Ricina, with a remaining wonderful amphitheatre, and to which many trace the origins of Macerata itself. However, the first Medieval commune was born in 1138, by concession of the bishop of Fermo, who brought together two small castles: Macerata and Poggio San Giuliano, both owned by the Benedictines of Santa Vittoria in Matenano. From that period, the city began its growth with an old historic centre and an urban fabric built between the 16th and 19th centuries with remarkable examples of Baroque art. In the area where Poggio San Giuliano used to be, now there is the 18th-century Palazzo Buonaccorsi with the enchanting Galleria dell'Eneide (Aeneid Gallery) which houses the Museo della Carrozza (Carriage Museum) and the Ancient Art Gallery with works by Carlo Crivelli, Giovanbattista Salvi, Carlo Dolci, Parmigiano, Carlo Maratta, Barocci. The Modern Art Gallery with the futurist works of the "Boccioni" group is noteworthy as well. The Natural History Museum is in Palazzo Rossini Lucangeli, with collections divided into five sections: palaeontology, mineralogy, vertebrates, malacology, entomology. The collection of 20th-century Italian art owned by the Cassa di Risparmio di Macerata Foundation in Palazzo Ricci is also valuable. Another cultural jewel is the Mozzi Borgetti Library, one of the most prestigious in the region. Piazza della Libertà is the "salon" of the city, with the buildings of the Municipality and the Prefecture, the church of San Paolo, the Lauro Rossi theatre, the 16th-century Tuscan Loggia dei Mercanti (Merchants' Lodge), and the Torre dei Tempi (Tower of Time) with Italy's most ancient planetary clock. The University building dates back to the 18th century, although the studium legum was created in 1290 but become a university only in 1540. The Duomo Cathedral with the works of Allegretto Nuzi, Bellini, Unterberger, and Boscoli is dedicated to the patron saint Giuliano. On a 15th-century chapel, the 18th-century Basilica della Madonna della Misericordia designed by Luigi Vanvitelli was built to end the plague. It is decorated with works by Francesco Mancini and Sebastiano Conca. The symbol of the city is the Sphaeristerium, a real temple for opera, built in 1820 by Ireneo Aleardi as an arena for the ancient ball game also loved by Giacomo Leopardi.

The IME - The Marches Food and Wine Institute recommends:

Colli Maceratesi DOC
These wines, both red and white, are an expression of native grapes with universal values typical of the area where they are produced. These are the monks' wines, which later became the sharecroppers' wines. The Colli Maceratesi Red wine is pleasant, dry and balanced, while the Colli Maceratesi White wine should be drunk young to enjoy freshness, crispness and fragrance. The taste is dry with soft fresh fruity scents. In areas where the grapes enjoy longer exposure to the sun, the taste has hints of citrus fruits.

Ciauscolo PGI
Ciauscolo, also known as ciavuscolo or ciabuscolo, is certainly a "family jewel" of Marche region's pork butchery. It can be immediately told apart from other cured meats because it is a meat spread. For this reason, many compare it to an extraordinarily tasty pâté. Its scent is delicate, aromatic, typical, firm and spicy. Its origin is lost in the mists of time and goes back to the traditional farming practice of processing pork.

Gobbo di Trodica – Macerata thistle
Gobbo di Trodica is a gigantic vegetable and is also known as the Macerata thistle. Compared to other thistles, Gobbo di Trodica has some distinctive features: the ripening is less premature, the thorns are completely absent, the leaves are full, with fewer indentations. It is also characterized by more evident qualities such as the gentleness of the leaf's midrib which is very wide and thick, without felted layers, ivory-white coloured, fleshy, juicy, with a frank aroma and very delicate harmonious flavour. It is usually combined with simple recipes: in a pan with sausage, stewed, or fried with lard.

Fristingo PAT - Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (Traditional Agri-food Products)
Fristingo is a traditional Christmas dessert of the region. It has a brown colour and a compact appearance. It is made with dried fruit, figs, and spices, and slightly recalls "panforte". A very poor dessert with infinite variations. It is made with corn flour and filled with any available ingredient. The story goes that fristingo is the oldest Christmas dessert, even more remote than Christmas itself, and that its recipe, more than two thousand years ago, passed from the Etruscan people to Picenum up to the present.

Sour cherries melted in the sun PAT - Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale (Traditional Agri-food Products)
If you stroll through Marche's countryside, you are likely to see some curious little trees similar to cherry trees, rich in dark green leaves with ruby red dots during the summer. They are sour cherries, small and wild black cherries. This precious fruit, after ripening, is stored in jars filled with sugar, tightly closed and placed in the sun for over a month. Over this period, the sun desiccates the sour cherries. A slow natural process causing the sour cherries to gradually lose their juice, favouring the dissolution of sugar, and creating the syrup, which is only made of their juice, without water or any additives and colorants.

Info:

Comune di Macerata

Musei di Macerata

Palazzo Ricci

Sferisterio

MacerataTour

Provincia di Macerata

Turismo Marche: Macerata

Marche Tourism: Macerata