Ancona
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 14 March 2022
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Ancona is at once the capital of its own province and on a wider scale, regional capital of Marche.
Located on Italy's Adriatic coast it's an important port city with commercial ferries constantly crossing back and forth to Croatia, Albania and the Greek islands. As with all the major ports of the Adriatic, Ancona has seen more than its fair share of political turmoil, war and conquest throughout its history. |
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In more recent times the city became part of the Italian Republic in 1860 and an important theatre of battle in both World War 1 and World War 2 where it was the scene of the Battle of Ancona.
Aside from the international and domestic ferry links, Ancona is also a stop for cruise ships. Most passengers take advantage of the stop to visit the city's sights with highlights including the pretty Piazza del Plebiscito; the narrow piazza is lined with bars and restaurants as well as the Museo della Città (City Museum) which tells the story of the city's history. The most prominent building in the piazza is the Chiesa delle Scale which sits in an elevated position at one end of the square.
Leaving Piazza del Plebiscito you can take a walk to Ancona Cathedral which is around 10 minutes away, passing the impressive Teatro delle Muse along the way. After visiting the cathedral you can enjoy one of the best views of the city, looking down on to the port before heading back to the city centre where you'll find the main shopping street of Corso Garibaldi which leads up to the large open spaces of Piazza Cavour. Perhaps Ancona's most iconic building lies in the port area: the Lazzaretto (also known as Mole Vanvitelliana) is a pentagon-shaped building that was once used as a quarantine for new arrivals to the city.
Lying around 15 kilometres to the south of Ancona is the Conero Riviera with its beautiful beaches and seaside towns like Sirolo and Numana. By car from the city centre to the peninsula's Portonovo takes around 25 minutes but you can also take buses with a slightly longer journey time: around 40 minutes.
You can fly into the region's Marche Airport which lies just 30 minutes to the west of Ancona and is served by Ryanair, Alitalia and Lufthansa among others. The city is also connected to Italy's rail network with the main train station a 20-25 minute walk to the city centre it's best to take a bus or taxi.
Aside from the international and domestic ferry links, Ancona is also a stop for cruise ships. Most passengers take advantage of the stop to visit the city's sights with highlights including the pretty Piazza del Plebiscito; the narrow piazza is lined with bars and restaurants as well as the Museo della Città (City Museum) which tells the story of the city's history. The most prominent building in the piazza is the Chiesa delle Scale which sits in an elevated position at one end of the square.
Leaving Piazza del Plebiscito you can take a walk to Ancona Cathedral which is around 10 minutes away, passing the impressive Teatro delle Muse along the way. After visiting the cathedral you can enjoy one of the best views of the city, looking down on to the port before heading back to the city centre where you'll find the main shopping street of Corso Garibaldi which leads up to the large open spaces of Piazza Cavour. Perhaps Ancona's most iconic building lies in the port area: the Lazzaretto (also known as Mole Vanvitelliana) is a pentagon-shaped building that was once used as a quarantine for new arrivals to the city.
Lying around 15 kilometres to the south of Ancona is the Conero Riviera with its beautiful beaches and seaside towns like Sirolo and Numana. By car from the city centre to the peninsula's Portonovo takes around 25 minutes but you can also take buses with a slightly longer journey time: around 40 minutes.
You can fly into the region's Marche Airport which lies just 30 minutes to the west of Ancona and is served by Ryanair, Alitalia and Lufthansa among others. The city is also connected to Italy's rail network with the main train station a 20-25 minute walk to the city centre it's best to take a bus or taxi.
Comune di Ancona
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Province: Ancona
Region: Marche Population: 99,273 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 123 km² Highlights: Piazza del Plebiscito, Lazzaretto, Ancona Cathedral Close by: Conero Peninsula, Portonovo, Sirolo, Numana, Marcelli Main train station: Stazione Ancona (2 km from centre) Fly to: Marche Airport (20 km from city centre) Recommended accommodation: Ego Hotel |
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