Recanati

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Comune di Recanati
Civic Tower.
Civic Tower.
Coat of arms of Comune di Recanati
Municipal coat of arms

Location of {{{name}}} in Italy
Country Flag of Italy Italy
Region Marche
Province Macerata (MC)
Mayor Fabio Corvatta
Elevation 296 m (971 ft)
Area 102 km² (39 sq mi)
Population (as of 2007-08)
 - Total 21,261
 - Density 208/km² (539/sq mi)
Time zone CET, UTC+1
Coordinates 43°24′N, 13°33′E
Gentilic Recanatesi
Dialing code 071
Postal code 62019
Frazioni Bagnolo, Castelnuovo, Chiarino, Le Grazie, Montefiore, Santa Lucia
Patron St. Vitus
 - Day June 15
Website: www.comune.recanati.mc.it

Recanati is a town and commune in the province of Macerata, Marche region of Italy. Recanati was the hometown of world-famous tenor Beniamino Gigli and poet Giacomo Leopardi, which is why the town is known to some as "the city of poetry".

[edit] History

Recanati was founded around 1150 CE from three pre-existing castles. In 1290 it proclaimed itself an independent republic and in the 15th century was famous for its international fair.

In the March 1798 it was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte.

[edit] Jewish population

The city of Recanati had a fairly large Jewish population for hundreds of years. Among the scholars produced by the city were Rabbi Menachem Recanati (1223-1290 CE) author of the Kabbalistic work The reasons of the Mitzvot. He was a student of Rabbi Elazar Rokeiach (1165-1238) from Worms, Germany who was one of the Chassidei Ashkenaz, a group of German pietists. His work, Sefer HaRokeiach, is a guide to ethics and halacha. wrote a mystical commentary on the Torah. Rabbi Elazar Rokeiach was also the teacher of Nachmanides, whom Rabbi Recanati quotes frequently in his work. Last names have been derived and changed to Racanati, i.e. Agostino Racanati

[edit] External links