Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On a tour you'll take in the cave's rock stars. First up is the
Ancona Abyss
, a cavernous
200m-high, 180m-long chamber, which would comfortably accommodate Milan Cathed-
ral. Highlights here include
Niagara
, a petrified cascade of pure calcite and a crystallized
lake. In the so-called
Gran Canyon
, look out for parallel stalactites resembling pipe organs
and waxy stalagmites that rise up like melted candles.
To reach the caves from Ancona, take the SS76 off the A14 and look for the Genga-
Sassoferrato exit. The car park, 1.5km east of the cave entrance at San Vittore Terme, is
where you buy your tickets and catch the shuttle bus to the caves. The closest train station,
Genga San Vittore Terme, is also next to the car park and ticket office.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Macerata
POP 42,000
Macerata combines charming hill-town scenery with the verve of student life - its uni-
versity is one of Europe's oldest, dating to 1290. Its old town, a jumble of cobbled streets
and honey-coloured
palazzi,
springs to life for the month-long opera festival.
Sights & Activities
One of Europe's most stunning outdoor theatres is the neoclassical
Arena Sferisterio
(
0733 23 07 35;
www.sferisterio.it
; Piazza Mazzini 10; adult/reduced €3/2, incl guided tour €5/4;
10am-4pm Mon, 9am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun, guided tours noon & 5pm)
, a grand colonnaded affair
resembling an ancient Roman arena, built between 1820 and 1829. Its acoustics are
second to none. From mid-July to mid-August it's the backdrop for the
Macerata Opera
Festival
, one of Italy's foremost musical events, attracting the cream of the operatic world.
The historic centre Renaissance is presided over by the
Loggia dei Mercanti
on Piazza
della Libertà. Built in 1505 for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the soon-to-be Pope Paul III,
the arcaded building housed travelling merchants selling their wares. Across the square is
the
Teatro Lauro Rossi
( 0733 23 35 08; Piazza della Libertà )
, an elegant theatre built in 1774
for the nobility, which now allows well-dressed riff-raff to attend.
Macerata's museums cluster in the
Musei Civici di Palazzo Buonaccorsi
( 0733 25 63 61;
www.maceratamusei.it
;
Via Don Minzoni 24; adult/reduced €3/2; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun)
On the
ground floor is the
Museo delle Carozza
, housing an extensive collection of 18th- to 20th-
century coaches (partly closed for renovation at the time of writing). Stepping up to the
