Late spring (May–early June) and September are the best times for Recanati — warm without being oppressive, with the long Marche light that makes the surrounding hill country particularly beautiful. July and August can be hot but never as crowded as the more famous Italian destinations; Recanati remains off the main tourist circuit even in peak summer.
The literary calendar matters here. The Festival Lunaria, in July, brings open-air concerts and poetry readings to the town squares. The Festa di Leopardi, in late September around the anniversary of the poet's birth (29 June, in fact, but often marked at the start of the school year), fills the Casa Leopardi with extra events, lectures and readings. The Gigli Festival in summer brings opera and lyric recitals to the Teatro Persiani.
Winter is quiet and many smaller businesses close midweek; the museums stay open year-round on their normal schedule. Driving over the Apennines from Rome or Florence in winter can be slow if there is snow.