My Erasmus experience in the small Macerata

I was in Macerata from September 2010 to February 2011, it was 5 intense months that I will never forget, for this I am recommending Erasmus to everyone, wherever you go you will get the most from it and you will not regret it.

Architecture and landscape

Macerata is in the region of Le Marche, which is located just east of the centre from the country. The city is close to the coast, more or less 25km. Architecturally it is quite inviting, it is old and the older zone is surrounded by a wall which is where the majority of people and students meet. It is beautiful, as it is typically Italian, and as soon as you see the streets you know perfectly well that you’re in Italy. Outside of the city the countryside is solely agricultural, with huge farming fields, but with numerous hills surrounding the city, which is on the largest hill from which on clear days you can see great landscapes and even the sea.

Source

Climate

Arriving from Galicia I can’t say that the weather was bad, but I did hear this from lots of my friends from the South of Spain. You will find contrasting weather in the mountainous area in which the city and the sea is located, in any case the cold is intense in winter and there are many rainy days, which does not fit in with your plans at all. They say that from around March/April people start going to the beach as it is close and the sun begins to shine.

Culture and Customs

The culture of the city is purely Italian and to me it seemed very different from Spain, the opposite of what most people generally think. Being an old city, the cultural environment is provided by the young people who study there or have gone there for Erasmus, around 140 people. The schedules are different, very European, although if you live in a flat you can have your own schedule, but always be aware of the commercial and festive hours, as they will vary greatly from your own.

Source

Partying

I’m not going to tell you that Macerata is a paradise for partying, as in reality there is very little going on. There are a few local places which are each associated with a different day of the week. Monday Karaoke at 4 Porte, Tuesday break, Wednesday Maracuja Square, Thursday Tartaruga and from there you can find a club, some local for example such as Terminal, where you can find quite a lot of people, and if not there are towns close by where you can find bigger clubs on organised trips. But if not there is always the option of flat parties, very very interesting and organised due to the smallest excuse and you will be surprised by the time that parties end in Macerata, excessively early! But don’t stress, wherever there are Erasmus students there are parties, and also there will be Italians that know where to go to when parties are in short supply locally.

Leisure and free time

With Erasmus you have little free time left, if it’s not because of one thing it’s due to another and you will always end up in the flat with other students, this is no problem the in reality the city doesn’t offer much of an alternative, you will have to make do with the pleasant and important company of your peers. And you will have some free time as you are Erasmus after all!

The solution is to spend your weekends travelling, which is what I did, I travelled to more than half of Italy and some other European countries. There is very little going in over the weekends in Italy, to say the least, all students return to their family homes and the weekly bustle is over but you will always find other Erasmus students that want to travel somewhere with you, take advantage of it.

Source

Gastronomy

What I'll say about the Italian cuisine is that it's rich in pizza, pasta and good cheeses. You will be able to enjoy it at any restaurant but the prices are not so cheap, expect the pizzas which are. After living in a flat you just follow your Spanish recipes using Italian products so you don’t really enjoy your meals as much.

Costs

In reality, the thing I liked least about Macerata. It is certain that rental prices are cheap, I used to pay €155 plus bills and not everyone in Italy can say this by the way, so this is a great advantage of Macerata. But then the other costs, in supermarkets, restaurants, shops, partying… and in general to survive they are, for me, quite expensive, more than Galicia at least. Watch out for that.

Transport

It is certain that it takes almost a day to get from any part of Spain to Macerata, because to get there you have to get to Italy, then catch at least a couple of trains that will lengthen your journey, but allow you to reach the isolated and remote Macerata. The people there used to go via Rome from many different parts of the country, Pescara from Girona, Bologna from Valencia and most of us arrive in Ancona, from Madrid, which is the airport closest to Macerata, just an hour and a half by train. I think that the cheapest way is a short route to Seville that has opened. But yes, you will be impressed by the ‘carriage’ that will bring you from Civitanova to Macerata, the coastal station from which you can travel to the rest of Italy, in the purest 80’s style. But it’s good, sufficient and of course cheap.

Source

Take advantage of the trains in Italy, they’re not great quality, but the quantity is incredible, it surprised me, in reality you can get anywhere you want by train with different length journeys and infinite routes and prices, I made it to half of Italy always using the cheapest option, but if you plan it well now you can save, and yes, you will spend lots of time on the trains but you can use the time to sleep! No Erasmus will complain about that!

In conclusion, a great experience, in a small city, that was not exactly a paradise for partying but a place where you will discover closeness and a very welcoming reception, you will get to know lots of people, you will travel to thousands of flats of Erasmus and Italian friends that are there if they let you in. In addition to this, what makes your Erasmus experience great is the people, the friends you will meet and will spend unforgettable moments with, you will travel with them, and spent infinite hours sharing lots of things, nights partying, dinners and they will make you feel the love you’re missing from loved ones at home. For me, the best people and the reception, among which I count the ESN group (Macerasmus) that will help you with what you need, and you can go on organised trips, they make it easy and cheap for you; as well as the office for foreign students (CRI) that will help you with everything.