The Marche region of Italy offers the opportunity to discover the town of Jesi, offering a fascinating history, impressive architecture, and a vibrant atmosphere. The well-preserved medieval center welcomes tourists and locals alike. One of the main attractions is the Palazzo della Signoria, a grand Renaissance palace that dominates the central square. Another building worth visiting is the 13th-century Cathedral of San Settimio.
Jesi hosts an annual historical adventure known as “La Disfida del Bracciale.” This medieval tournament is a thrilling display of skill and courage. The event attracts visitors from all over the world.
The landscape, dotted with rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves, will make you feel like you’re in love with nature. A walk along the Sentiero del Verdicchio trail, which runs through the vineyards, offers breathtaking views.
Location
Jesi is a town and commune in the province of Ancona, in the Marche region. Located in central-eastern Italy.
Riserva Naturale Ripa Bianca di Jesi (Ripa Bianca Nature Reserve of Jesi)
The Ripa Bianca Nature Reserve overlaps the Reserve with an area of 120 hectares, covering a total of 140 hectares. Its habitat is characterized by small islands, gravel banks, ponds, and a small artificial lake. Riverside vegetation is dominated by red and white willows, and black and white poplars.
Thanks to its diverse habitats, the reserve has become an important wintering, breeding, and summer habitat for many interesting bird species, such as the Italian stilt.The reserve also boasts the largest heron colony in the Marche region: over 100 nests of night herons, grey herons, and great egrets have been recorded.
Palazzo Pianetti (Pianetti Palace)
Palazzo Pianetti is the finest example of 18th-century architecture in Jesi. Its interior houses a collection of extraordinary paintings by Lorenzo Lotto. The palace has a central structure with two floors and two wings at the ends, which extend onto an Italian garden, surrounded by an architectural terrace running around the courtyard.
On the first floor is the Galleria degli Stucchi: a 70-meter-long stucco hall, ending in an octagonal room that complements and enhances the illusion of perspective. On the second floor, opposite the windows, you will find six rooms painted with the stories of Aeneas. These rooms host the Picture Gallery with a core of valuable works by Lorenzo Lotto, one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
Civic Museums of Palazzo Pianetti
The museums are located in Palazzo Pianetti: the former stables house the Archaeological Museum, with a valuable collection of Roman sculptures. On the ground floor, the Art Gallery and the Gallery of Polychrome Art, one of the finest examples of Rococo in central Italy, house a significant collection of ancient art and a substantial collection of works by Lorenzo Lotto, one of the most outstanding Renaissance artists.
The private apartments, completely renovated in the 19th century, house the Gallery of Modern Art, with works by important artists such as Guttuso, Pistoletto, and Orfeo Tamburi, a native of Jesi, and Betto Tesei.
Piazza Federico II (Federico II Square)
Piazza Federico II is a square adorned with numerous buildings built between the 16th and 19th centuries, primarily in the Baroque style. Among them is Palazzo Balleani, within which lies the Enoteca Regionale delle Marche, which pays homage primarily to Verdicchio, a prized product from the Castelli di Jesi area.
The Bell Tower, modeled on Vanvitelli’s Loreto bell tower, and the soaring 18th-century interior are adorned with two lions in brocade ornamentation. Side streets, some with staircases and arcades, open onto characteristic alleyways. Following the left side of the cathedral, descend Via delle Terme, which leads to Porta Bersaglieri, near which stands the interesting Church of San Marco.
Cattedrale San Settimio
The Cathedral of San Settimio is the most important Catholic site in Jesi and is the mother church of the Diocese of Jesi. The Gothic structure, commissioned by the Bishop of Jesi, Dago, was built in the early 13th century.
The façade is entirely decorated with pilasters and adorned with exposed red brick. The entrance portal is made of white stone with fluted Corinthian columns. On either side, in two symmetrical niches, are statues of Popes St. Marcellus and St. Septimius. To the left of the church stands the bell tower with a beautiful set of five bells. On the façade are two large coats of arms, also made of stone, commemorating Pope Leo XIII and Bishop Rambaldo Magagnini.
Montecappone SARL / Mirizzi di Montecappone
Montecappone wines are produced in a winery equipped with cutting-edge technology, allowing the use of exceptionally high-quality raw materials.
Montecappone wines are currently produced on 46 hectares of vineyards in the hills of Jesi, with an annual production of approximately 180,000 bottles. The company also owns 12 hectares of olive groves, where it produces four different types of extra virgin olive oil.
Museum Federico II
A complete multimedia museum dedicated to Federico II of Swabia. The tour, located inside the 18th-century Palazzo Ghislieri, consists of 16 rooms spread over three floors. Federico’s life is depicted through scenography, video installations, and projections of static and animated images, taken from medieval miniatures, touchscreens, holograms, objects, and costume reconstructions.
Museo delle Arti della Stampa (Museum of Printing Arts)
The Museum of Printing Arts in Jesi was founded to document the city’s long and important typographic tradition. Located in the 16th-century Palazzo Pianetti Vecchio, the museum occupies a spacious, bright room where, in a striking and visually striking setting, printing presses and machines from various eras are displayed alongside rare and valuable books.
