SHEER POETRY

Resting atop the Marche hills, just thirty minutes from the Conero Riviera, Recanati is a pretty little town with a remarkable literary and artistic heritage, that prides itself on being nicknamed the “city of poetry”.

Perhaps it was the idyllic views of the surrounding countryside to be admired from Recanati’s panoramic belvedere, that inspired the oeuvres of the three hometown heroes: composer Giuseppe Persiani, opera tenor Beniamino Gigli and the one and only Giacomo Leopardi. Rightfully reputed the greatest Italian poet of the 19th century, Leopardi is remembered for his tremendously pessimistic outlook on the human condition and contradictory attitude towards Mother Nature, perceived both as a cruel stepmother and an endless source of enchantment. To celebrate the memory of the town’s most famous citizen, several plaques bearing Leopardi’s verses are scattered throughout Recanati, marking the sites that stirred his emotions.

The town’s roots stretch back to the 5th century though it was only ten centuries later that Recanati enjoyed its golden age. Renaissance era walls enclose its centro storico, crossed by cobbled streets and punctuated with charming palazzi and churches, built between the 16th and 19th centuries.

You begin your day with a tour of the Civic Museum of Villa Colloredo Mels, showcasing a small but precious collection of artworks, including four of Renaissance artist Lorenzo Lotto’s masterpieces. From here your guide will lead you on a leisurely walk through town on a quest for the most significant landmarks in the life of Giacomo Leopardi. In Piazza Leopardi, dominated by the Palazzo Comunale and the 12th century Torre del Borgo, you will come face to face with the poet, immortalized in an 1898 marble statue created by Ugolino Panichi on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Leopardi’s birth. Just a few steps away, inside the cloister of the Church of Saint Augustine, your guide will point out the Tower of the Lonely Sparrow which features in the first lines of Leopardi’s well-loved poem. Standing in Piazza Sabato del Villaggio is Palazzo Leopardi, where the poet was born and spent his childhood bent over his books. On the same square you will also see the Church of Santa Maria di Montemorello where he was baptised and Silvia’s house, once the home of the coachman’s daughter to whom he dedicated a sorrowful composition on the destruction of the illusions of youth. Last but certainly not least, you will reach the summit of Mount Tabor, better known as the Hill of Infinity, which was Leopardi’s favourite haunt. Here the poet came to meditate on the tragic aspects of existence and seek comfort in the marvellous views of Le Marche’s hills.

After some free time for lunch a short drive will take you to Loreto, a gracious town that owes its fame to the 15th century Sanctuary where the Holy House of the Virgin Mary is preserved. According to tradition, the relic of the Santa Casa is the house from Nazareth where the Virgin Mary was born, raised and received the angelic announcement and that was brought to Italy by crusaders in 1294. Defined by Pope John Paul II as “the true Marian heart of Christendom”, Loreto has been one of the Catholic world’s most popular pilgrimage centres for centuries. World-class art, including sculpted marble panels by Bramante and paintings by Melozzo da Forlì, Luca Signorelli and Pomarancio, make Loreto a not-to-be-missed destination for both devotees and art lovers.

The final stop on your excursion will bring you to a renowned cantina located near the Regional Park of Mount Conero. Here, you will become familiar with the particular features and regulations that define Conero wine, discover the unique characteristics of the terroir and climate that make wines produced here so special and find out how Montepulciano, Syrah and Merlot grape varieties are turned into “bottled poetry”. You will also be guided through a tasting of the estate’s rich, fruity wines… a fitting way to end a lyrical day!