2, Piazza Mazzini,

Visit monument: two visits a day at 12 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Outside these times, groups may make a reservation at
Macerata Incoming,
2, Piazza Mazzini,
Tel. 0733 234333


The monument
The Sferisterio of Macerata stands out as one of the most prominent architectural structures in late European Neoclassical style. In the first half of the Nineteenth century, a few wealthy gentlemen living in Macerata decided to enrich their city with a permanent structure used for hosting the game of palla col bracciale - a very widespread traditional game played at the beginning of the 20th century  with a leather ball struck by a spiked, wooden hand-help glove - and, at the same time, as an arena for the steccato and for bull fighting, which was very popular at the period of the Papal States.

Construction began on 2nd October 1820, designed by Ireneo Aleandri, a young architect from San Severino Marche and was inaugurated in 1829. The very special shape of the building - which includes a playing field, a series of rooms for various purposes, a supporting wall, boxes and balconies - was carefully designed to encompass the needs of the sports activities which were popular in the first half of the Nineteenth century.

Walking inside, one may be struck by the surprisingly wide space the Sferisterio reveals: a huge arena (90 x 36 metres.) caracterised by two straight edges joined by means of a long, wide curve facing the huge background wall, which is 18 metres high and almost 90 metres wide. This high wall, nowadays so widely appreciated was part of the requirements for the game palla col bracciale.
A series of 56 Doric columns with Attic base stretch from both sides of the royal stage, supporting the boxes and ending in the stone terrace which beautifully crowns the whole structure. The building, which is in best Neoclassical taste and betrays a Palladian influence, is not only magnificent in itself, but it perfectly blends with the city landscape. The harmonious structure affords perfect visibility and wonderful acoustics.


Sferisterio Opera Festival and Musicultura Festival

Every year in July and August an important opera festival takes place in the Arena Sferisterio which attracts a large audience from within Italy and aboard. The tradition goes back to 1921 and 1922, when memorable performances of Verdi's Aida and Ponchielli's La gioconda were staged.
In our own time the Sferisterio, with its shows, has been described as a " workshop of marvels", a theatre where it is possible to watch performances of great artistic creativity, thanks to the extraordinary characteristics of the arena itself, including its excellent acoustics.

In addition to the Sferisterio Opera Festival the Sferisterio hosts the Musicultura Festival, one of the most widely appraised Italian festivals of popular music and music by singer-songwriters, where the joint performances of musicians, poets and writers give life to singular events which are increasingly appreciated by large audiences, and which are also transmitted via television and radio.

Information

Macerata Incoming
2, Piazza Mazzini
Tel. 0733 234333
Opening times:10.00 am. to 13.00 and 4 pm. to 7 pm.

Ticket Office
10, Piazza Mazzini
Tel. 0733 230735 - 233508
Fax 0733 261570
Opening times:10.00 am. to1.00 pm. and 4.00 pm. to 8.00 pm.
boxoffice@sferisterio.it