The town of Stupor Mundi and Verdicchio
In the valley of the Esino river, in the hinterland of Ancona, Jesi is an elegant town enclosed by intact medieval walls, built on Roman foundations, with palaces, churches and theatres that recall its long history. It is famous above all as the birthplace of Frederick II of Swabia, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and king of Sicily, called "Stupor Mundi", the wonder of the world, for his extraordinary culture, his interest in science, poetry and philosophy and his modern vision of the state. According to tradition, his mother, the Empress Constance of Hauteville, while travelling to Sicily, gave birth to him on 26 December 1194 in a tent set up in the main square of Jesi, in public, so that no one could doubt the legitimacy of the heir.
That square, today Piazza Federico II, with an obelisk and a fountain with lions, is the heart of the town. The Museo Federico II Stupor Mundi, opened in 2018 in the Palazzo Ripanti Nuovo, tells the life of the emperor with multimedia rooms, reconstructions and immersive projections. Jesi is also the birthplace of the composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, author of the "Stabat Mater", to whom the beautiful eighteenth century Teatro Pergolesi is dedicated, and its Pinacoteca, in the rococo Palazzo Pianetti, preserves an important collection of works by Lorenzo Lotto. The hills around Jesi produce one of the best Italian white wines, the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, fresh, mineral and slightly bitter, which goes perfectly with the fish of the Adriatic.
Tip: walk along the walls, which can be explored all around the centre; taste Verdicchio in one of the wine bars of the old town.
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