Tourist Travel Guide Ancona

Tourist  guide Ancona - guided tour Ancona

The busy administrative capital of the Marche and the largest city in the region may not seem an obvious tourist centre, but has a lot to to offer even to the most demanding tourist.
Built on two hills that form an amphitheatre around the harbour, it was settled in the 4thC BC by Greek colonists from Syracuse.
Later, the Romans exploited its sheltered anchorage and in 115 AD, under the Emperor Trajan, the present harbour walls were raised; the stately ceremonial marble arch standing at the end of the docks marks his achievement.
In the Middle Ages, the forces of the German Emperors, the Church and the Venetian Republic each made sure that Ancona was never able to establish itself as a powerful maritime republic. In 1532 it slid compliantly into the hands of the Papal States where it remained until the Unification of Italy.
Neither was the 20thC kind to this old city; badly bombed in the 2nd World War, it was again brought to its knees by a major earthquake in 1972.
The oldest part of town straddles Colle Guasco, the hill above the port. On its peak, high above the agitation of the modern city, stands Ancona's finest church and its most obvious landmark, the Medieval Cathedral of San Ciriaco, a pleasing mix of Romanesque and Gothic.
The austere interior is picked out with exotic Byzantine touches, a painted wooden roof in the form of an upturned boat, and a soaring 12-sided cupola - a place to linger in out of the summer heat. In the crypt you can glimpse the remains of an ancient pagan temple that provided the foundation for the church.
To see the rest of the best, you can walk from the bottom of Corso Stamira down by the ferry docks. After noting the Venetian-Gothic facade of the ruined church of San Agostino cut across to nearby Piazza della Repubblica where Corso Garibaldi and Corso Mazzini start (the other two Corsi that complete the city's trinity of parallel main streets).
The 19thC Teatro delle Muse that boxes in the square has now been re-opened after complete restoration. From here take a brief detour up Corso Mazzini to see the 16thC Fontana del Calamo, a regimented row of 13 masked spouts.
Back down in Piazza della Repubblica, amble along Via della Loggia to see the statue-decked Loggia dei Mercanti, an outstanding example of florid Late Venetian-Gothic (the influence of Venice is never very far away here). Further on is the singular 13thC front of Santa Maria della Piazza, rows of blind arches and plenty of fidgety carving.
From Via della Loggia walk up to Piazza del Plebiscito ruled over by a resplendent if cracked statue of Pope Clement XII. Over his shoulder is the Neoclassical Church of San Domenico with a stirring Titian Crucifixion above the high altar.
As you climb up from the square on Via Pizzecolli you are in the heart of the oldest part of the city. Palazzo Bosdari at no.17 guards Ancona's Pinacoteca; further up you can rest your legs as you admire the bird's eye views of the port from Piazza Stracca. A few paces on is Palazzo Ferretti, housing the Museo Archeologico delle Marche, an outstanding collection of antique nick-nacks - black and red Attic vases, Etruscan bronzes, Iron Age jewellery.
As you wind onwards and upwards through deserted Piazza del Senato and up Via Giovanni XXIII you will catch glimpses of the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre behind.
Two miles far from the city center you worth mentioning is the Passetto monument, a memorial built in the twenties and dedicated to the dead of the First War War.

How to get to Ancona

Most people prefer travelling during the summer months; actually the beautiful beaches are a great attraction for people wishing to relax. However it often rains in August, so the busiest times really are June and July. If you should decide you want to visit, there are several ways you can.

Ancona can be easily easily reached by boat or ferry. You can travel to Ancona by boat from the ports of call of  Split, Zadar, Igoumenitsa, Patras. There are several  ferry companies operating in the  port, making regular trips to Igoumenitsa and Patras (Greece) and to Split ( Croatia). It takes around hours to go to Patras. The travel time to Igoumenitsa is fifteen hours. All ferries are handicapped accessible. From May to mid November there are regular cruise ships ( Costa, MSC)  calling at the port of Ancona at the week-ends.

If you traveling by rail you can reach the city of Ancona from several points in Europe and Italy. The city of Ancona is served by Ancona Central railway station, that is located conveniently in the heart of the city. This modern two story facility can accommodate both passenger and freight trains. You can also take a short trip from here to the next station down the line which serves the port. The railway station at Ancona Central is  handicapped accessible. At Ancona central rail station and at the airport there are  plenty of places to rent a car in Ancona, like Avis, Hertz, Europecar, Sixt, Maggiore. 

Ancona is situated at about 280 kilometers west of Rome. Ancona is accessible by surface roads on three sides. There are two entrances to the A14 motorway on the north and south end of Ancona. From there it is possible to drive just about anywhere in Italy.

Ancona airport is a stop for a lot of different airlines The  biggest carriers are: Lufthansa and Alitalia. Most travelers  travel to other European destinations before moving on to Ancona.

A few miles from Ancona you can visit Mount Conero, in the heart of the homonymous Regional Park. The park boasts over a thousand species of wild plants, as well as a rich bird life.
You can’t miss Sirolo and Numana, two lovely seaside resorts in the park and the wonderful bay of Portonovo.

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Andrea Giordani
http://www.guideturistichemarche.it/; e-mail: andrea@guideturistichemarche.it ;
tel + 39 071 2905303; cel 339 2964619

posted by Guide Turistiche Marche - Tourist guide Ancona - Tourist guide Marche Andrea Giordani ;andrea@guideturistichemarche.it