Recanati, which is known as the balcony city of the Marche, is strategically located in the centre of the Marche region, between the coast and the hinterland.
Wonderful scenery and delicious local dishes
Nestled between the sea and the mountains Recanati, which is less than an hour from Ancona’s Marche Airport, is known as the Balcony City for the splendid views if affords. On clear days, in fact, the spectacular panorama is dominated by Mount Conero, the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini Mountains. Recanati is home to famous personalities, including the illustrious poet Giacomo Leopardi and the famous tenor Beniamino Gigli.
A city of culture and fine food
The city is permeated by an aura of culture and art in its monuments and churches, art galleries and museums. Not to be underestimated is the local food and wine, with many dishes of peasant origins. These simple but succulent specialties preserve ancient flavours like the Vincisgrassi, which is the Marche's version of lasagne, to the sweet and cheese pizzas typical of the Easter period. Thanks to the Adriatic Sea there is a wide choice of delicious fish and visitors should not miss a dish of the local fragrant Brodetto di Pesce fish soup.
Leopardi’s house and Loreto, one of Italy’s most popular religious shrines
Among the places of memory of Leopardi in Recanati we find The Tower of the Lonely Sparrow inside the cloister of the Gothic Church of Sant'Agostino, made famous by his poem The Lonely Sparrow. Other fascinating and evocative Leopardi sites are the Colle dell'Infinito and Palazzo Leopardi, where he was born and lived, and which was opened to the public in March 2020. Not far from Recanati, the Balcony City, we find a place that has always had a magnetic appeal for visitors: the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto. This symbolic shrine of Christianity has within it the Holy House of Nazareth in which Mary was born and is a very popular destination with pilgrims and art lovers from all over the world.
