Stands among the hills between the Upper Foglia Valley and the valley of the River Conca, 51 km from Pesaro, surrounded by a lush countryside of cultivated fields and woodland.
The Roman town of Pitinum Pisaurense once stood near to the present-day town. Many archaeological remains have come to light (stone tablets and inscriptions, coins, tombs and fragments of buildings). These are now housed in the town's Antiquarium, which also contains a fossil section. The Parish Church of San Cassiano was built during the Middle Ages on an area of the town which had been destroyed by the Goths in around 552. It was rebuilt in its present form in the 12^th Century in the form of a three-nave basilica and using materials from earlier buildings. The new fortified town was built on the nearest hill, by the valley of the Apsa. In 1233, the "free men" of the town swore allegiance to the city of Rimini, to which they remained faithful throughout the early Middle Ages. Thus. for many years, the castle was held by the Gaboardi family who were also Captains of Rimini. It was during these years that the Palazzo del Podestà was built with its tall tower, as well as the church of San Francesco (1376) just by the castle, for which the fine "Crucifixion" was painted by Carlo da Camerino in 1396 (this is now in the 19^th Century parish church of San Michele Arcangelo). Caught in the conflict between Sigismondo Malatesta and Federico da Montefeltro, Macerata was finally occupied in 1463 by the latter, who removed it from the lands of the Romagna region and brought it under the control of the Duchy of Urbino. During this period, the town was extended over the area of the old market place, following new Renaissance urban planning ideas. At the same time the Duke commissioned Francesco di Giorgio Martini to rebuild fortifications at Mondagano and Cergnano. Buildings worthy of note are the Convento di Santa Chiara, the Oratorio di San Giuseppe, the church of Sant'Antonio and Palazzo Mazzoli, Palazzo Gentili-Belli and Palazzo Antimi-Clari, with its private chapel. The Teatro "Angelo Battelli", with its attractive auditorium surrounded by tiers of boxes, is a relatively modern building, dating from 1932.
Macerata Feltria also has a modern spa centre at 'Pitinum Thermae'. Its comfortable accommodation makes it possible to take advantage of the beneficial properties of the sulphurous waters which surface from the ground here.