Loggia dei Mercanti

Le Marche


This arcaded Renaissance landmark is one of several historic buildings fronting Piazza della Libertà, Macerata's showpiece square. Built in 1505 for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the soon-to-be Pope Paul III, it originally housed travelling merchants selling their wares.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Le Marche attractions

1. Torre Civica

0.04 MILES

Conceived as early as 1492 but not completed until 1653, Macerata's 64m-tall civic tower looms over Piazza della Libertà. It's most obvious feature is its…

2. Musei Civici di Palazzo Buonaccorsi

0.12 MILES

Deep in the historic centre, the 17th-century Palazzo Buonaccorsi houses three of Macerata's best museums. The Museo delle Carozza boasts an extensive…

3. Arena Sferisterio

0.19 MILES

A stunning outdoor theatre, the neoclassical Arena Sferisterio is a grand colonnaded affair that was built between 1820 and 1829 to resemble an ancient…

4. Basilica della Santa Casa

12.52 MILES

This majestic hilltop sanctuary is one of Italy's most celebrated pilgrimage sites. The basilica, built between 1469 and 1587, is a stunning hybrid of…

5. Spiaggia Urbani

17.59 MILES

A gentle arc of gravelly sand backed by steeply banked woods, the Spiaggia Urbani is the closest beach to Sirolo, accessible on foot or via a summer…

6. Spiaggia San Michele

17.74 MILES

This glorious long beach, sandwiched between crystalline cobalt waters and low white cliffs coated in Mediterranean macchia (shrubland), is a favourite…

7. Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle

19.1 MILES

The poster child of the Parco del Conero's beaches is this dreamy white-pebble beach named after two rock stacks (the Due Sorelle or two sisters) that…

8. Centro Storico

19.81 MILES

Sarnano's medieval centre sprawls up the hillside in a tangle of steep cobbled lanes and attractive red-brick houses. Climb to the top and you'll come to…