Introduction to the city of Ancona

Trajan’s column in Rome, Italy

The city of Ancona has ancient, even Pre-Roman, origins as well; it was founded around 390 BCE by colonists from Siracusa in Sicily. The Greeks founded the colony of Siracusa on the island of Sicilia in the 8th century BCE. Read more about Siracusa here. Then, in the 2nd century BCE, the city of Ancona was taken by the Romans, and it became an important part of the Roman Empire.  The emperor Trajan, in particular, made use of the strategic habour and personally financed the expansion of it. In fact, in the port area you will find the ancient Arch of Trajan. The emperor sailed from the port of Ancona to reach the Roman province of Dalmatia (now a part of Croatia). From there he advanced into what was known as Dacia. You might remember the iconic Column of Trajan near the Roman forum (just outside of the Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini, another great Roman spot). The vertical narrative on this column tells the story of Emperor Trajan’s conquest and dominance of the Dacian people. He fought two wars, and the second one lasted took place in 105 CE. Trajan was celebrated for his expansion of the empire through these campaigns, and he used Ancona as his ‘jumping off’ point.

The Arch of Trajan in a jumble of modern light and innovation in the large Port of Ancona.

Historians estimate that the arch in Ancona was built by the famous architect named Apollodorus of Damascus between 110-116 CE. In fact, the empire reached maximum expansion under the Emperor Trajan who ruled for only 19 years (from 98 to 177 CE).   Ancona played an important role as an access point to the Adriatic, an earlier iteration of the ‘marca’ status, as it operated as a gateway in the seafaring context as well. It was a gateway to what is today known as the Balkan countries (named for the mountain range that stretches through the territory.)   To this day, the habour remains a significant characteristic of the city and an access point to the Balkans. If you type Ancona into Google maps, you will see a plethora of dotted white lines extending from the port connecting Italy with the contemporary counties of Croatia, Albania, Montenegro and Greece. You can find reasonable rates although some rides are long and epic, as my friends who took a 10 hour ferry from Ancona to Split, Croatia for a bachelor party can attest.

Looking out over the Piazza Del Plebiscito with the church of San Domenico at my back. This is considered the main ‘square’ of the city, and I would say it has a nice atmosphere. Lively but not too ‘touristy’.

While you are waiting for your ferry stop by Da Morena, a seafood kiosk where you can get the freshest catch at reasonable prices. In addition to the port area, you do not want to miss other features of the city. There is a notable pinacoteca (art gallery) found in two 16th-17th century palazzi with important works from the 15th up to the 21st centuries. The Romanesque Chiesa di Santa Maria della Piazza is virtually a stone’s throw from the restaurant I recommended, La Degosteria. The true highlight of the city is the ascent to the Cattedrale di San Ciriaco. Find out more about these highlights in the subsequent posts.

In addition to the capital city of Ancona, I encourage you to explore the region of Marche at large, ideally by car. Read more in the post Marche Revisited and the forthcoming post on the Conero Region.