The best city hikes and walks in Marche

The Cathedral of San Ciriaco is the spectacular landmark of Ancona, majestically enthroned on top of Guasco Hill! 🏛️🌊 The impressive cathedral combines Romanesque and Byzantine architecture and welcomes you at the main portal with its famous two red marble lions 🦁✨ Pro-Tip: The climb is especially worth it for the scenery! From the cathedral square, you have an unobstructed 360-degree view over the Adriatic Sea and the bustling activity in the harbour 📸⛵ Come in the late afternoon – the warm sunlight on the white stone walls and the sea in the background are simply breathtaking! 🌅💙

The Ancona Herb Market is an Art Nouveau style structure built in 1926 to a design by municipal engineer Federico Federiconi. The structure, made of iron and cast iron, was conceived to provide a roof for the market that was already held in Piazza delle Erbe. The work was carried out by shipyard workers, using, in part, metal from Austrian ships ceded to Italy as compensation for damages from World War I; among them was the battleship SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand which had struck the city. A century later, it still retains its original purpose as a covered market serving the city's four central districts, whose boundaries intersect in the nearby Piazza Roma. All of this constitutes a vast hub animated by about two hundred operators. The main facade has a palmette crowning and bears the inscription MERCATO PUBBLICO, which arches over a double scallop shell of Saint James; above the entrance, a depressed arch, is a clock surmounted by the civic coat of arms and flanked by two cornucopias overflowing with fruit, symbols of abundance. Above the side entrances, the construction date of the building can be seen: ANNO 1926. In January 2024, the long restoration work began.

The Pope visited Ancona on September 8, 1979.

Renovation time

Municipal seat of the city until 1947, and from 2007 to the present day, the Palazzo degli Anziani is located in Piazza Benvenuto Stracca. It boasts very ancient origins, dating back to 425 AD, as the seat of the Roman imperial administration. This first building was seriously damaged in 839 during the Saracen invasion. The current building was erected in Gothic style in 1270, based on a design by Margaritone d'Arezzo. Built on a very steep slope, it has a rather particular architectural structure, leaning against the slope and originally having six floors towards the port and only three towards the hill. It has two main facades, one western, facing the sea, and the other eastern, facing the square in front. While the facade towards the port largely retains its original form, the upper one, which was entirely made of Conero limestone, was modified during the 17th century. During the terrible fire of 1348, which destroyed large areas of the city, the Palace was seriously compromised. With the papal rule, recovery work was finally carried out to readapt it as the seat of the city administration. After repairing the damage from World War II, the palace first became the seat of the Civic Art Gallery, then the seat of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce of the University of Ancona. After the completion of the latest interior renovations, on November 21, 2011, the city council returned to meet again within the ancient palace.

The Cathedral of Ancona, dedicated to Saint Cyriacus, is the metropolitan cathedral of the Archdiocese of Ancona-Osimo. It is a medieval church blending Romanesque and Byzantine styles, evident in its Greek cross plan and in the many works of art housed within. It stands in a scenic location atop Colle Guasco, formerly occupied by the acropolis of the Greco-Doric city, overlooking the entire city of Ancona and its gulf. It was designated a basilica in May 1926 by Pope Pius XI, and has been a national monument since 1940. Inside is the painting of Our Lady Queen of All Saints, the subject of an event considered "miraculous" by Catholic tradition, known as the Marian Miracle of Saint Cyriacus. The building has a history of over 2,000 years, during which five major events can be distinguished: - 4th-2nd century BC - Construction of the Temple of Aphrodite, whose perimeter corresponds exactly to the transept and the left wing of the current church; - 6th century AD - Construction of the early Christian Basilica of San Lorenzo, built on the ruins of the ancient temple; - 11th century AD - The Basilica of San Lorenzo became a cathedral and was expanded. With the translation of the body of Saint Cyriacus, it changed its name and took on its current title; - 12th century AD - Transformation of the plan into a Greek cross, giving the church an oriental layout, its main characteristic. - 13th century AD - Construction of the dome and porch, interventions that gave the building its current appearance.

The ruins are great for anyone interested in them. The area is fenced.

Unfortunately, you can't get into the park on Sunday. The gate is closed.