Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bronzes of Pergola (50-30 BC). Keep an eye out, too, for the Venus of Frasassi, a statuette
of a buxom dame, 8.7cm tall, carved from stalactite 28,000 years ago.
Chiesa di San Domenico
(Piazza del Plebiscito; 10am-noon & 4-8pm)
Flanked by cafes, the elegant Piazza del Plebis-
cito has been Ancona's meeting spot since medieval times. It's dominated by this baroque
church, containing the superb
Crucifixion
by Titian and
Annunciation
by Guercino. That
gigantic statue in front is Pope Clement XII, who was honoured by the town for giving it
free port status. The nearby fountain is from the 19th century.
CHURCH
Cattedrale di San Ciriaco
(Piazzale del Duomo; 8am-noon & 3-7pm summer, to 6pm winter)
A stiff but scenic climb up
from the old town, Ancona's perkily domed cathedral commands sweeping views of the
city and port from its hilltop perch. Guarded by two marble lions, the cathedral sits
grandly atop the site of an ancient pagan temple and is an architectural potpourri of Byz-
antine, Romanesque and Gothic features.
Wandering downhill from here along Piazza Anfiteatro, you will glimpse the remains of
the city's
Roman amphitheatre
, believed to have been built during the reign of Emperor
Augustus.
CATHEDRAL
Parco del Cardeto
(
www.parcodelcardeto.it
; 8.30am-8.30pm summer, 8am-5.30pm winter)
The din of central Ancona
fades to a distant hum from this park straddling the hill behind the city, with broad views
across the rooftops of the old town to the port and Adriatic. The pine shade and sea
breezes up here are refreshing in summer. Fortifications, a 19th-century lighthouse and a
Napoléonic-era cemetery can be found in its grounds.
PARK
Fontana del Calamo
(Corso Mazzini)
Head along Corso Mazzini, where you will see the 16th-century Fontana del
Calamo, 13 masked spouts supposedly representing effigies of those who had been be-
headed.
FOUNTAIN
