Civitanova Marche: Culture, Cuisine and History

Civitanova Alta is a fortified settlement on a hill overlooking the sea. When planning your trip, you can distinguish this place’s historic architecture and art from the cuisine of Civitanova Marche and the festival in Civitanova.

Medieval Town Centre and Architectural History

Piazza della Libertà preserves an almost completely intact medieval street plan in the historic centre of Civitanova Alta. Sloping lanes and views over red rooftops are part of this townscape. If you are interested in the layout of a historic town, you will find more than individual façades here: the course of the lanes and the way the town rises in tiers also shape the impression.

Porta Marina, also known as Porta Sant’Angelo, is on the eastern side of the town walls. The brick gate was built in the mid-15th century and features a double pointed arch and a tower structure. From there, you can look out over the Adriatic. The gate’s architecture thus combines clearly recognisable structural features with a view; these can be appreciated separately as you explore.

The Teatro Storico Annibal Caro was built between 1869 and 1872. Its horseshoe-shaped auditorium is a distinctive feature of the interior. The theatre adds a 19th-century building to the medieval forms of the town walls and gate. The buildings described here therefore bring together different periods and very different architectural elements.

Art, Collections and Cultural Events

The Pinacoteca Civica “Marco Moretti” is housed in the former residence of Annibal Caro’s family. Its collection includes paintings, drawings and prints by major 20th-century artists. These include Morandi, De Pisis, Gentilini, Tamburi, Cantatore, Maccari, Crali, Tulli, Castellani and Bartolini, as well as numerous Italian printmakers from the Urbino school. The collection offers a distinct artistic focus alongside the history of architecture; the works on display may change.

The Ex Chiesa di Sant’Agostino has a Rococo interior with stucco work attributed to Agostino Varlè and an organ by Callido. The former church has also been converted into an auditorium for cultural events, performances, exhibitions and live art. The programme varies. If you would like to plan your trip around a particular event, check the dates in advance.

The Chiesa del Santissimo Sacramento was founded before the 16th century. Its nave has six side chapels containing paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Next to the church, the Antiquarium preserves sacred vestments, liturgical objects, paintings and religious artefacts from the 16th to the 19th century. The church and the Antiquarium have different points of interest: the chapels and paintings in the church, and a collection of religious objects spanning several centuries in the Antiquarium.

Crafts, Landscape and Festival Traditions

Via dei Sediari recalls the historic craft of chairmaking. This includes “impagliarelle”, used to hand-weave the seats of wooden chairs. Designed as a themed street, it features historic photographs, displayed chairs and information panels; the display may be updated over time. The street name and craft tradition offer a glimpse of a historic everyday trade alongside the grand buildings.

The Chiesetta di San Savino stands on a gentle hill behind Civitanova Alta. It offers a rural view and a place for quiet reflection. This landscape is distinct from the red rooftops of the historic town centre and the view over the Adriatic from Porta Marina.

For more than 70 years, Civitanova has celebrated a festival in honour of San Savino and San Vincenzo on 25 April. The tradition includes a procession, a mass, music, entertainment and food stalls. If you are planning to travel for the festival, check the dates and programme for your stay in advance.

Dishes from Civitanova Marche

Civitanova Marche’s local cuisine includes “furbi con l’abbiti” (octopus with chard), “sgombri al vino rosso” (mackerel in red wine) and “brodetto alla civitanovese”. The first two names refer to different main ingredients: octopus and chard, and mackerel and red wine. Brodetto is another named local dish. The dishes on an individual menu may vary, but these names give you specific examples of what to look out for in the city’s cuisine.

Discover more destinations: Nemi, Pollenza, Belforte Del Chienti, Monte San Martino, Palazzata, Sant'egidio, Muccia, Civitanova Alta

For the broader travel overview: Macerata.