Information about Ancona

Head quarter of Adria Ferries, Ancona is the regional capital that has always boasted a tradition of seafarers, since the time of the Maritime Republics. The Own Palace overlooks the ancient port of Ancona and is located in one of the stately buildings of the historic center. Ancona rises on the central Adriatic coast on a promontory formed by the northern slopes of Monte Conero. This promontory gives rise to a gulf, the gulf of Ancona, in the innermost part of which is the natural harbor. The port of Ancona employs 6528 people daily in various roles, generating 2.7% of the GDP of the Marche Region. With an average of 2200 annual landings, 11 million tons of goods and 1.19 million passengers in transit, the port has a strategic function in the Adriatic-Ionian Macro Region, as a terminal for international ferry lines to Greece, Croatia, and Albania. Survived the bombings of the Second World War, it currently represents one of the main sources of wealth and gateway to the city thanks to the large number of ferries that depart and arrive every day, crowding their piers, abodes and docks. Among the main tourist destinations reachable from the port of Ancona, Albania is definitely among the most important and interesting, recently tourism in Albania has seen a real boom in visitors. In fact, tourists from all over central and northern Italy reach Ancona to board the ferries to Albania attracted by the beautiful beaches, the beautiful and unspoiled nature, the constantly evolving cities and a history waiting to be discovered.

Tourist and seaside offer

The city has various beaches, both high and low coast. Among the former, the most central is that of the Passetto, with large white rocks, including the Seggiola del Papa and the Scoglio del Quadrato. Rocky beaches follow one another towards the south; among them the beach of Mezzavalle is worthy of note. The best known beach south of Ancona is Portonovo (Blue Flag); the beach alternates gravel and stony sections, with very white and rounded limestone pebbles, considered one of the peculiarities of the locality. The presence of the woods directly in contact with the beach, together with the open views towards the majestic bulk of the Conero, constitute a great attraction of the area. North of the port of Ancona the coast is instead low; in this area there is the sandy beach of Palombina, partly free and partly equipped. To the south-west of the port of Ancona extends the new tourist dock, including numerous piers where 1200 berths moor (Marina Dorica, Approdo Bandiera Blu). The most representative monument of the city of Ancona is the Cathedral of San Ciriaco, a splendid Romanesque-Gothic basilica, with Byzantine elements, built on the foundations of an Italic temple of the fourth century BC and of a subsequent early Christian church. Among the sites of tourist interest are: the Church of Santa Maria della Piazza, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, characterized by the arched façade and the symbolic figures carved around the portal; the Arch of Trajan, a Roman arch erected in the 1st century A.D; the Church of San Francesco alle Scale, with its beautiful façade in Venetian floral Gothic style; the Mole Vanvitelliana, a splendid pentagonal artificial island inside the port, built on a project by the papal architect Luigi Vanvitelli; the Loggia dei Mercanti, the most important secular building, in Venetian floral Gothic style; the suggestive Fontana del Calamo or the Thirteen Cannelle, whose antiquity is attested by the name, of clear Greek derivation, which recalls the marshy environment in which it stood. Not to be missed are the Municipal Art Gallery, which houses, among others, works by Carlo Crivelli, Tiziano, Lorenzo Lotto and Guercino; the National Archaeological Museum of the Marche, which documents the prehistory and protohistory of the Marche region; the Omero Tactile Museum, one of the few in the world, and the only one in Italy, which also allows the blind to approach art by touching life-size plaster casts of famous sculptures, architectural models of famous monuments, but also archaeological finds and original sculptures by contemporary artists.

What to do in Ancona

Among the most interesting events to attend in Ancona, there is certainly the Sea Festival which is repeated every year every first Sunday in September. This occurrence in memory of the victims of the sea, involves hundreds of boats parading starting from the port. At the end of the day, citizens are offered a fireworks display on the sea that keeps thousands of people with their noses upwards every year. A short distance from the Festa del Mare it is possible to attend the thrilling Conero Regatta, two days of events involving more than 200 registered boats competing on a 12-mile long route along the entire Conero Riviera. Among the major events that take place in Ancona during the year we point out: the San Ciriaco Fair and the "Adriatic Mediterranean" International Festival, which attracts artists from the countries of the Adriatic and Mediterranean basin. Moreover, the city, thanks to its own conformation of the territory, offers numerous practicable activities. In fact, on the coast it is possible to practice any activity from windsurfing to diving to fishing and parachuting. Entering it is possible to appreciate the hilly territories perfect for mountain biking and trekking.

What to eat in Ancona

The most popular typical dishes are stockfish all'anconitana and brodetto, a typical fish soup. The Portonovo wild mussels, a Slow Food presidium, is a mussel that reproduces naturally and lives attached to the submerged rocks of the Conero coast. For those who love pasta, on the other hand, the “vincisgrassi” are a must to savor. Each location in the Marches provides its own personal variation, but in each recipe the harmony of flavors remains unchanged for a one-of-a-kind baked pasta.