Appignano

In the gentle hills surrounding Macerata lies the village of Appignano. Still encircled today by a distinctive boundary wall, the first settlements here date back to Roman times.

The history of Appignano is closely tied to craftsmanship, as it has been known for its pottery art since 1500. Initially linked to domestic activities and the production of amphorae and utensils for everyday life, over the centuries the local craftsmen have honed and developed their skills, giving rise to workshops and companies specialising in the artistic decoration of ceramics and maiolica. As a testimony to the importance of the town's pottery art, the municipal buildings have a display of Terracotta and Ceramics.

Places of interest include the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows dedicated to the veneration of the Virgin Mary, the Church of St John the Baptist and the 13th-century Convent of Forano, where St Francis is thought to have resided for a long period.

Every autumn, Appignano hosts a food fair to celebrate the locally-grown beans and pulses, which are prepared the traditional way and served in the characteristic earthenware pots or "cocce".