Macerata is a hill town that takes its culture seriously, and the Teatro Lauro Rossi is the polished little jewel in the middle of it. Built in the second half of the eighteenth century in the heart of the old centre, it is a classic Italian horseshoe theatre with tiers of boxes in cream and gold, and it carries the name of Lauro Rossi, a nineteenth-century composer born in the town. If the doors are open, step in for a look; the room is intimate enough that you can imagine the whole town crammed in for a premiere, gossiping between acts.
The theatre is only half the musical story. A few streets away stands the Sferisterio, a vast neoclassical arena built in the early nineteenth century for a ball game called pallone col bracciale, which now hosts an open-air opera festival every summer. Macerata is also the birthplace of Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit who travelled to China in the sixteenth century, learned Chinese and became a celebrated go-between of cultures; you will see his name on streets and plaques around town. The university here is one of the oldest in Italy, which keeps the bars full of students.
Getting here is a treat. The town sits on a ridge between the Potenza and Chienti valleys in the Marche, with rolling farmland falling away on every side, and to the southwest the high wall of the Sibillini mountains, snow-capped into spring. The roads that climb up from the valley floor are a series of switchbacks and long, flowing bends, often with excellent tarmac. Head west toward the Sibillini for bigger climbs, or east to the Adriatic coast, less than an hour away. Inside the walls, the old centre has restricted traffic zones and steep, narrow lanes, so park outside and walk in.
Macerata has thirty thousand inhabitants and all the services you need, with fuel stations on the main roads below the old town. The local speciality is vincisgrassi, a rich baked pasta related to lasagna, and you should also try ciauscolo, a soft, spreadable salami from the Marche hills. A Verdicchio or a red Rosso Piceno will suit either, though if you are riding on, save it for the evening and settle for an espresso under the arcades.