Tour of Ancona + Portonovo

An excursion to the Republic Square (Piazza della Repubblica) begins - in the center of the cultural and business life of the city, near the Teatro delle Muse, built in the early XIX century.

Then from the Place de la Republique we will pass along the street della Loggia (via della Loggia), on which are located the palaces of the XV century Palazzo Benincasa (Palazzo Benincasa) and Loggia del Mercanti (loggia del Mercanti), built in the style of Venetian Gothic Giorgio da Sebennico - the author of the Paper Gate in the Palazzo Ducal (Venice, Piazza San Marco).

Here we will turn to the Plebiscite Square (P.zza Plebiscito) - the most ancient and unusual square of Ancona, on which there are such monuments of antiquity as the statue of Pope Clement XII (XVIII century), made by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, the author of the famous Caserta Palace (residences of Neapolitan kings) - the largest building of the XVIII century, palaces and fountains of the XIV-XIX centuries, including the work of the famous Francesco di Giorgio Martini. In one of the churches that overlook the square with their facades, there is a picture of Titian “Crucifixion on the Cross”.

Next, we begin the ascent along Via Pizzecolli, named after the famous Anconian traveler and “father of archeology” Chiriaco Pizzecolli (XV century). This medieval street, which was the main one for centuries, is rich in historical palaces and monuments, and also gives an opportunity to see the panorama of the port of Ancona from different points and from different angles.

Finally, we climb the steep steps, almost like an elevator (only with our own legs and stamina), to the top of the hill of Guasco, offering breathtaking views of the city of Ancona and the port with the unique pentagonal building of the infirmary of 1733 (Il Lazzaretto), the work of Luigi Vanvitelli already known to us and with the elegant and well-preserved Arch of Trajan (115 AD). In clear and sunny weather from the top of the hill you can see the opposite Croatian coast of the Adriatic.

Then we will visit the thousand-year-old temple of San Chiriaco, which is located immediately on the top of the hill, which became a symbol of the city of Ancona, built in the XI century on the foundations of the ancient Greek temple of Venus.

Next we will proceed to the city park Cardeto (il parco del Cardeto) with untouched meadows and groves of typical Mediterranean vegetation, through the thickets of which you can see the lighthouse, operating since 1860. Here is the so-called Jewish Field (il campo degli ebrei) with the oldest (XV century) and the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe.

Finally, the excursion stage begins on the descent, not on the ascent. We will go down to Piazza Roma with a fountain of 4 horses in the center (Fontana dei quatro cavalli), broken here in 1758. On the street adjacent to the square there is another famous fountain of the XVI century - the Fontana del Calamo (Fontana del Calamo) of 13 taps which runs spring water, suitable for drinking. This spring was used by the ancient Greeks. Next to the square in the morning there is a market, built at the beginning of the last century (1926-1932) of iron and iron, similar in style to London’s Covent Garden.

If you have the desire, strength and time, you can take a walk along the boulevard della Vittoria (il viale della Vittoria) under the shade of plane trees, poplars, ash and acacias. This boulevard is a favorite weekend route for locals. The street is interesting because it practically connects two seas: the northwestern and southeastern parts of the Adriatic. The walk ends in the area of Passetto (rione Passetto), with a very beautiful monument of the 30s of the last century and a panoramic view of the azure surface of the Adriatic Sea.

If we have rented vehicles at our disposal, then we can additionally take an hour-long excursion to Portonovo - one of the stunning beauty places on the coast of the Conero Natural Park (Parco Regionale del Conero), where high wooded hills descend steeply to the turquoise water, shining in the sun with naked slopes of white limestone. There is a quiet and charming Church of Our Lady (Chiesa di Santa Maria di Portonovo), built by the Benedictines in the XI century. It is located just a few meters from the sea and the beauty of its forms fits perfectly into the environment. In 1934, by order of a local aristocrat, a Russian artist from the first wave of emigration Grigory Maltsev painted an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God with a baby, which she gave to the church in Portonovo. We can say with confidence that here you will be covered by a feeling of complete peace, and you will be able to experience some of the brightest moments in your life. No wonder he liked to come here, to stand in front of the icon and plunge into the surrounding landscapes director Andrei Tarkovsky, when he settled in Italy after leaving the USSR in 1983.