MACERATA

city, capital of Macerata provincia, in Marche regione, central Italy. It is situated on a hill between the Potenza and Chienti rivers, south of Ancona. The town was built in the 10th and 11th centuries near the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Helvia Recina, which was destroyed about 408 by the Visigothic king Alaric. A commune in the 12th century and the seat of a bishop from 1320, Macerata passed to the Papal States about 1445. Noteworthy buildings in the city include the Loggia dei Mercanti (148591), the neoclassical Sferisterio (sports arena), the cathedral (177190), and the Church of Santa Maria delle Vergini (155573), with a painting by Tintoretto. Macerata is the seat of a university with a faculty of jurisprudence, founded in 1290, and of several other learned institutions. Macerata is an important agricultural market for cereals, and the locality is known for cattle and pig breeding, horticulture, and floriculture. The city's industries include brewing, brickmaking, and the manufacture of furniture. Pop. (1993 est.) mun., 42,931.