Ancona Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Ancona

Ancona is a historic seaport and the capital of both its homonymous province and the Marche region in central Italy. Situated along the Adriatic Sea roughly 280 kilometers northeast of Rome, the city occupies a prominent setting across the slopes of a hilly promontory defined by Monte Conero, Monte Astagno, and Monte Guasco. This undulating geography creates a striking contrast with the flatter coastal terrain situated further to the north. Because of the distinctive elbow shape of its coastline jutting out into the sea, Ancona is uniquely positioned as the only city in Italy where observers can view both the sunrise and the sunset over the open water.

Originally inhabited by communities of the Picentes tribes, the site assumed a structured urban form around 387 BC when Greek settlers from Syracuse established a colony. They named the settlement Ankón, deriving from the Ancient Greek word for elbow, in reference to the natural shape of the promontory protecting its harbour. The city later flourished as a Roman naval station and crucial commercial port, expanded under Emperor Trajan. Throughout its long history, Ancona evolved into a Byzantine stronghold, an independent maritime republic ruled by elected Elders, and eventually a territory within the Papal States before being incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

Visitors to Ancona can explore a wealth of architectural and cultural landmarks. Near the harbour wall stands the Arch of Trajan, a 59-foot-tall marble triumphal arch constructed between 114 and 115 AD to honor the emperor who enhanced the port. Atop Guasco Hill, on the former site of a Greek temple, sits Ancona Cathedral. Consecrated in the 11th century, this Romanesque grey-stone church is built in the shape of a Greek cross and features Byzantine decorative influences, a twelve-sided dome, and ten interior columns attributed to the ancient shrine. Cultural heritage is also preserved in sites like the Parco del Cardeto, which encompasses an expansive historic Jewish cemetery with tombstones dating back to 1552.

Ancona features a humid subtropical climate characterized by regular precipitation across all seasons. Winters are cool, with an average January temperature of 5 °C (41 °F), frequent rain, fog, and occasional heavy snow when cold air sweeps in from Eastern or Northern Europe. Summers are warm and humid, averaging 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) in July, with regular thunderstorms occurring in August and September. Spring and autumn bring changeable yet generally mild weather.