A little-known city of art, Ancona has a lot to offer: great cuisine, green spaces, breath-taking views, art, and architecture. It has one quite fascinating feature: you can admire both the sunset and sunrise over the sea.
Don’t miss
Testimonies of the past
Ancona is home to numerous testimonies of its past, spanning almost 2,000 years. We start at the Arch of Trajan, then arrive in Piazza del Plebiscito, locally nicknamed the Pope’s Square, here overlooked by the Church of San Domenico, which houses the Crucifixion by Titian and The Annunciation by Guercino. Other must-see monuments include the Cathedral of San Ciriaco and the Pinacoteca Civica (Civic Museum).
La Mole Vanvitelliana (The Leper Hospital of Ancona)
Situated on a 20,000-square metre artificial island inside the port, it was a place where foreigners used to be quarantined: this is why city folk continue to call it the leper hospital. La Mole is structured like a small city and includes underground cisterns, the neo-classical church of San Rocco and the State Tactile Museum Omero.
The Passetto
The Passetto is a park with a pine forest attached to it where you can go for beautiful walks at any time of the year. The entire neighbourhood of Ancona overlooks the city seascape and the Cònero, so you can enjoy breath-taking views. The area is well-equipped including bars, a skating rink, and swimming-pools.
The cuisine
For those who love sea cuisine, Ancona is synonymous with intense and traditional flavours. Typical dishes include 13 different kinds of fish soup, Ancona-style baccalà (salted codfish) and ‘moscioli’ (wild mussels). There are also dishes from the land, especially the ‘vincisgrassi’: lasagne enriched with a tomato and meat sauce.
Travel Documents
Identity Card
An identity card valid for leaving the country allows entry into European Union countries. However, please note that there have been reports of difficulties in some countries with the recognition of renewed and stamped paper identity cards, as well as the refusal of electronic ID cards renewed with a certificate issued by the municipality.
Passport
An ordinary passport is valid for all countries whose governments are recognized by the Italian one, except for any legal restrictions, and can be obtained by all citizens of the Republic. A passport is issued (and renewed) by the police and abroad, by diplomatic and consular representatives. It is valid for 10 years, but in some cases provided for by current legislation, this validity may be shortened.
For more information, see www.poliziadistato.it
