Jesi

The destination of the second day of our holiday this September is Jesi, just an easy 20-minute drive from Castelferretti. We park in aside road and walk up to the town, divided into the medieval centre inside the castle walls and a historical but less ancient part along Corso Matteotti, a completely straight road which stretches from the Lions’ Fountain to Arco Clementino. We explore the medieval part first. It’s very quiet, a little melancholic perhaps, not many flowers, not many people, the cathedral is 19th century but the narrow streets are pleasant to wander around and the view looking down onto the walls is impressive. 

Palazzo della Signoria houses the modern day library as well as the Biblioteca planettiana. Half way down Corso Matteotti there is the Church of the Templars where a guide explains the history of the Templars and of that particular church, built at a diagonal to the Corso because it was built beyond the medieval walls, in the countryside and then engulfed by the town in need of space, a red brick survivor.

We picnic in the same square and then go to a bar for a tasty Crescia and coffee before a nap on one of the few benches outside Palazzo della Signoria. Our next stop is Palazzo Pianetti which houses three museums. The ground floor hosts the archeological museum, the first floor the Galleria degli Stucchi and the Pinacoteca whereas the second floor is occupied by the 18th century apartments of the noble family and some contemporary art.

We decide just to visit the first floor which is well worth the 5 euro ticket. The Galleria degli Stucchi is 70 meters long and entirely decorated with stucchi and paintings. 

The rooms behind include the Stanze di Enea with ceiling frescoes depicting the story of Enea and some paintings, notably those by Lorenzo Lotto. The Madonna delle Rose is particularly beautiful.

As we are leaving there is a different person in the ticket office who explains other places in Jesi which can be visted free. These include the Museo diocesano, but only the morning so it’s too late, and the Sale Museali di Palazzo Bisaccioni of the Fondazione Cassa Risparmio di Jesi which we decide to visit. Ringing the bell produces a friendly young lady who explains the various floors. We decide to visit the small pinacoteca and an exhibition on the ground floor by the Chilean contemporary sculptor Radic.

Our last stop before going back to the car is at the Chiesa di San Marco, just outside the old centre which is managed by the Suore di Clausura. We ring the bell of the convent next door and the church door is opened. A couple of fine frescoes of the Giotto school, which we can see when one of the nuns behind the grata turns the light on. 

A good day and now it’s time to go back to Castelferretti.