Between the land of the Piceni and the hills of Infinito – Piceni landscapes and the hills of Leopardi

Arrive late in the morning, meeting with the guide and visit of Ascoli Piceno whose historic center is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy, by virtue of its artistic and architectural richness. Also known as the city of a hundred towers, for the countless noble towers or bell towers located in Piazza del Popolo. The square, in Renaissance style, is literally framed by a loggia with 59 arches, palazzetti with arcades and battlements. The entire floor is made of travertine slabs that, with the rain, take on a striking mirror effect. On the square there are the most important buildings: the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, of thirteenth-century origin and now the seat of the City, the historic Caffè Meletti of Art Nouveau taste and the Church of San Francesco, which is leaning against the Loggia dei Mercanti, elegant construction of 1513. Another elegant urban space is Piazza Arringo, the oldest in Ascoli, where there are very interesting buildings: the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the Cathedral of Sant’Emidio, the Bishop’s Palace, the Arengo Palace, home to the Civic Art Gallery and some municipal offices. On the opposite side of the square you can see the seventeenth-century facade of Palazzo Panichi, home to the State Archaeological Museum. Lunch during the excursion. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel, departure for Recanati, city of infinity and the beautiful song. Visit of the ancient home of the Leopardi family. The entire first floor is occupied by the famous library where the poet wrote and studied on sweaty papers, while the rest of the building is the private home of the family. The library houses more than 20,000 volumes, most of them collected and ordered by Monaldo Leopardi, Giacomo’s father. In addition to the museum areas you can also visit the cellars of the Leopardi house, recently restored space where you can buy the wine produced by the family. In front of the house Leopardi opens the Piazzuola del Sabato del Villaggio and, on one side of this, the stables and the house of Silvia. Not far from the poet’s birthplace is the garden of the ancient monastery of St. Stephen, where the “Infinito” was conceived. Thanks to the collaboration of various institutions, it is now possible to delve into the history, meaning and form of poetry, in an engaging story. But if Recanati in Italy is famous for Leopardi in the rest of the world this is the city of Beniamino Gigli, the greatest tenor of all time according to the Academy of Asturias. The Beniamino Gigli Museum is located inside the Sala dei Trenta of the Teatro Persiani. In addition to the precious and elegant costumes, it is also possible to admire a reconstruction of the dressing room, the Official Proclamation Beniamino Gigli Day that the city of New York dedicated to him on October 8, 1997 at the Metropolitan, the photo with original dedication of Maestro Arturo Toscanini. At the end of the tour, transfer to Porto Recanati for lunch in a characteristic restaurant with a fish menu. Transfer to Castelfidardo with the opportunity to visit the Accordion Museum, to admire this instrument of great charm. The museum is housed in the sixteenth-century Palazzo Comunale. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Fermo, a delightfully medieval village. Piazza del Popolo bordered by arcades on both sides, is undoubtedly the heart of the city. On the square overlook the Palazzo Comunale, the ancient Palazzo Apostolico and the Palazzo dei Priori, which houses the important Romolo Spezioli library, founded in 1688 and one of the most important in Italy. The oldest and most famous room is the Sala del Mappamondo. The name derives from the large and ancient globe kept in the center, initially used for dancing parties and theater performances and for this reason known as the Sala delle Commedie. Due to the continuous fires, theatrical activities and dances were moved during the course of the nineteenth century at the Teatro dell’Aquila, still in use. The theater, born thanks to the project of Luigi Paglialunga in the second half of the eighteenth century, over time has undergone several renovations to the Art Nouveau style still visible today. In Fermo there are the largest Roman cisterns in Italy, dating back to the Augustan age. Born from an idea of Vitruvius, built at the end of the first century BC, this underground system of collection and distribution of water, was used to not leave dry any part of the city. There are three tanks used for storage and subsequent supply, built in three different areas of the city. Lunch during the excursion. End of services