Fun things to do in Ancona

The main cathedral of Ancona is quite a sight to behold when one first sees the port. It stands on top of a hill that dominates the city. When the Greeks arrived here first, the site of the church was home to a pagan temple. Inside the duomo, you can see some of the ruins of the Greek and then Roman temple under a section of the floor made out of clear glass. It is actually quite confusing to find the church from the port since Ancona is a maze of windy, slanted streets. It is advisable that you have a map. Once your up there you can see the best sunset in Italy! Hopefully it's clear that day because then you can even see the Appenines (particularly Monte Vicino).

In the centre of Ancona there are some monuments like 'I quattro cavalli' (The four horses) and the big, white Mussolini monument near the sea. Take a photo!
Also the beaches (Portonovo, Mezzavalle)are nice. There can be hard rocks instead of sand but the water is very warm in the summer time! Try surfing!

Ehhhh! who whats to marry me in this lovely sunset scenery!!!!????

This old villa, full of plants and trees...is very near my town...

So come out 'babies'...I'm still free...
..let me choose! ahahhaha!!!

When you visit the Cathedral of San Ciriaco you will notice two enormous stone lions guarding the entrance.Children of Ancona used to dare each other to put their hands into the lions' jaws prior to entering the church on the saint's feast day. Parents would warn their children that the lions would bite them if they had told a lie during the past year.

This recently restored piazza is labeled "Piazza del Plebiscito", but the Anconetani call it Piazza del Papa because of the large statue of a past pope. It's definitely the best piazza in Ancona, spacious and nicely laid out.

This intricately carved building is on a street right below Piazza del Papa. The street is tiny and cars and motorbikes will zoom by occasionally, so be careful when admiring the craftsmanship. At one time, this building was a merchant post. Near the center of the facade there is a carving of a knight on a horse, the symbol of Ancona.

The main attraction at this church (you should pass it on the way up to the duomo) is the elaborate stone carvings around the entrance. This masterpiece is also the work of the same artist who carved the Loggia dei Mercanti (I'll try to find out the name soon!).

Yes, Ancona probably would be much prettier if some of the eyesores on the port were torn down... but otherwise the city wouldn't prosper as much as it does now. Despite some of the ugly industrial cranes and storage tanks (I GUESS that's what some of them are), enjoy the views of the city from the street along the harbor. One of my favorite memories was sitting with friends on a platform looking toward the duomo. Our feet would be dangling over the edge above the water, a huge ferry from Croatia would be docked next to us, and we would dream of getting on the boats heading out to Athens, Patras, Crete, Dubrovnik, and Istanbul. Alas...most people only come to Ancona to do just that, but we were "locals".