Ancona Bus, Bus, Attractions - Sinbad

Ancona - attractions of the city and its surroundings

Ancona for a relatively small city offers everything the average tourist is looking for in Italy. There are valuable monuments, sandy beaches, mountains, beautiful views and great cuisine. The area surrounding Ancona also abounds with numerous attractions. So what is worth seeing here?

Cathedral of San Ciriaco

This Romanesque-Byzantine temple is located on the hill of Monte Guasco. It was built between the 11th and 12th centuries on a Greek cross plan on the site of the temple of Aphrodite, which was demolished in the 558 earthquake. The cathedral is patronized by Saint Cyriacus, as is the whole of Ancona. The temple is characterized by a stone façade with a beautiful portal on the exterior, and a simple, minimalist design on the interior.

Piazza del Plebiscito and other squares in Ancona

Piazza del Plebiscito, also known as Piazza del Papa is the oldest square in Ancona - dating back to the 15th century. This rectangular square is surrounded by beautiful historic palaces and public edifices. It is also home to the Church of San Domenico, where the painting "Crucifixion" by Titian can be admired in the main altar. In addition to Piazza del Papa, there are 3 other large squares in the city, of which Piazza della Repubblica with the Theater of the Muses and the Church of the Blessed Sacrament are particularly worth a visit. From there, the pedestrian shopping street Corso Garibaldi can be used to get to Piazza Roma, the central square in Ancona, where a market is held every morning.

Arco di Traiano in Ancona

Arco di Traiano was erected in 115 AD to crown the expansion of the local port. Near it is another arch built at the behest of Pope Clement XII in 1737, the Arch of Clementine.

The Arch of Clementine.

The Church of Santa Maria della Piazza

This church was built between the 11th and 12th centuries on the site of two earlier Paleo-Christian churches from the 6th and 7th centuries. It is a beautiful example of Romanesque architecture. Through the glazed part of the church's floor, one can see the remains of the previous churches, including fragments of mosaics.

Fort Mole Vanvitelliana

This pentagon-shaped building was built in the 18th century on an artificially created island. Its purpose was to separate potentially infected travelers and goods arriving at the port of Ancona.

Beaches in and around Ancona

Beautiful beaches feature the Riviera del Conero stretching south from the city toward the village of Marcelli. There are numerous white cliffs surrounded by pine forests, as well as beaches with azure seas, to which you usually have to walk down a bit. The town's Passetto beach is also worth at least a stroll. Although it is rocky and partially concreted, it has its own unique atmosphere due to the numerous caves hollowed out in the cliffs over 100 years ago. The Passetto caves were created as storage areas for fishing boats. Today they are further decorated with colorful doors. Another beach worth seeing is the beautiful Mezzavalle beach located a few kilometers outside the city, within the Parco del Conero.