Ancona is a beautifully situated city on the Adriatic Sea, and it is the capital of the Marche region. The place was settled in the 5th century BC, and Greeks arrived in 387 BC. They named the city Ancona, and later the city became first Roman and then Byzantine. After the year 1000, Ancona gradually became more independent, and in time the city formed the Republic of Ancona, which was an independent maritime state until 1532, from when it formed a part of the Papal States. Ancona continued to be an important port city, which is also the case in modern Italy.

The old town of Ancona lies with the sea on two sides and with the town’s harbor naturally protected to the west of the town center. There are several things to see in the city, and you can start a stroll in the old square, Piazza del Plebiscito, where you can see the Palazzo del Governo, today the seat of the prefecture of the city. The mansion was built in the 14th century, and the bell tower in the building is the result of a reconstruction from 1581. At the end of Piazza del Plebiscito is the church Chiesa di San Domenico, built 1771-1778.

In the historic center you can walk between Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Roma and Piazza Cavour. Between them runs the narrow street Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi. Here, it is the large and finely laid-out Piazza Cavour that impresses. It is Ancona’s largest square, and in the middle stands a statue of the Italian politician Camillo Benso di Cavour. You should take a walk along Ancona’s port as well. Here you can e.g. see Trajan’s Arch, which is a Roman triumphal arch that was constructed at the beginning of the 10th century. You can also see Lazzaretto, also known as Mole Vanvitelliana. The Lazzaretto is a pentagonal building from 1733-1743 that was built as a quarantine station on an artificially created island.

Ancona’s cathedral is a special attraction in the city. It stands literally on top of the town on a hill at the entrance to the harbor. From here there is a fantastic view of the city, the harbor and to the Adriatic Sea. Historically, it was on this site that the Greek Acropolis was located, and excavations have proved that there have been temples and churches here since the 200s BC. The current cathedral was built in the years 996-1017, and it stands in a mixed style with e.g. Romanesque and Byzantine features. Since its original construction, the church has been expanded.