After Florence and Venice, Steve and I embarked on our East Mediterranean cruise on board MSC Sinfonia. The cruise took us from Venice in Italy to Split in Croatia, Santorini in Greece, Dubrovnik, Ancona and back to Venice. Unfortunately we didn’t make it to Mykonos.

Ancona was the last real stop on the cruise. Ìt’s the capital of the Italian region Marche. It is an important port city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Most of its medieval center was bombed during World War II.

Its cathedral, however, is set on the mountain overlooking Ancona and still worth a look.

History

Ancona (Ἀγκών) was founded by Greek colonists in around 387BC. So there’s plenty of Greek, Roman and medieval art and architecture to see.

• The Basilica Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Ciriaco or Ancona Duomo. The cathedral itself is a bit meh, but the hill provides a nice view on the city;
• The Arco di Traiano or Arch of Trajan;
• The Church of Santa Maria della Piazza;
• The Marche National Archaeological Museum, which worth a visit. Even if the set-up is really outdated.
• The Calamo Fountain of the 13 Pipes.

Ancona isn’t an A-list destination and  particularly not worth a detour. But if you’re there, it’s a pleasant city to spend a few hours.