The town of Ancona, administrative capital of Marche region, rises on a triangular shaped promontory that overlooks the Adriatic Sea and shapes the gulf of Ancona.
Its harbour making it a busy travel hub, Ancona has various places of historical and architectural interest within its boundaries. The highest point, offering the best panorama, is the Basilica of St. Ciriaco perched above the sea. The Cathedral is a mix of Romanesque and Byzantine styles and houses the body of the Christian martyr St. Ciriaco in its crypt. Piazza del Plebiscito stands on the way down to the harbour, with the Church of St. Dominic which houses two masterpieces: Guercino’s Annunciation and Titian’s Crucifixion.
The Church of Our Lady of the Piazza stands out in piazza Santa Maria, in the ancient Porto neighbourhood, built in Romanesque style between the 11th and 12th century it houses original Early Christian mosaics.
Notable testimony to antiquity is also provided by the arch of Trajan, attributed to Apollodorus of Damascus, and the Augustan-era Roman amphitheatre that has not yet been entirely excavated.
In the port area, meanwhile, the imposing structure of the lazzaretto (leper’s colony), also known as the mole Vanvitelliana, stands on a manmade pentagonal island. Occupying a surface area of 20,000 sqm, the buildng was designed in the 1700s by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli and is linked to dry land by three bridges. The mole Vanvitelliana has had various uses through history, including military hospital and barracks: today it is an exhibition area, hosting cultural events.
The area of rocky coastline of the rione Passetto includes a public park which offers a panoramic view over the sea and the Conero region. From the central monument to the victims of WWI, it stretches out along two long staircases dug out of the rock which led to the sea.
Marche Film Commission — Fondazione Marche Cultura
Piazza Cavour 23 — 60121 Ancona
Phone: +39 071 9951 623/624/625
Email: silvia.pincini@fondazionemarchecultura.it
