Ancona

Ancona The Cathedral

Summary of history
Founded in the 387 b.C. from inhabitants of Siracusa (Sicily). At that time they were Greek colonists of doric origin and from this comes the name of Ankon Dorica given to the town (ankon in greek language = "elbow" describes the topography of the city regarding the sea). It enjoyed the expansion moment of the founders: they were allies to the winners of the war of the Peloponnesus (Sparta wins on Athene), on the contrary of Numana.
Subsequently it was favorite from the expansion of Rome, adversary of Carthage and of the Etruscans, just like Siracusans; moreover Rome saw Ancona as bastion against the Senoni Gauls, allocated near Ancona, at north of the Esino river.
The Greek city, with the agorà, the forum, the amphitheatre and thermae and the maritime commerce, produced purple and coined money. When Picen countries become romans, Ancona assumed military importance as naval base. It is the most important pole of the 5th region and with imperor Traiano becomes particularly important for its enterprises in Dacia: the port was rebuilded and the city was expanded . The senate wanted to erect a triumphal arc in honor of the emperor inside the port and one bronze statue (now near to "Porta Pia", an entry of the old town)

Arc of Traiano

With the disintegration of the roman empire, Ancona was besieged by the Goths two times in few years, it was plundered by the Longobards, it subjected itself to the Church in order to find protection, but it could not escape the fights between papacy and empire, and was plundered by the Saracens in the 839 p.C.. After the year 1000 Ancona resumes the maritime traffics and becomes Marine Republic: this is its golden period: it makes war and it gains the common neighbors, it feeds traffics with Constantinople, it supports many sieges, it opposes itself to Federico Barbarossa and to the venetian fleet.
It fighted against Sforza, Aragons and the Turks and demonstrates large vitality of its inhabitants, shipowners, merchants, navigators, craftsmen.
The city was cosmopolite, in fact there were also original merchants of other Italian localities, expecially coming from Florence, and foreign in large part from the Levant (Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Slavics, Jewish community and a numerous colony coming from Ragusa).
It was occupied from the Malatesta and later subordinated to the papal legate cardinal Albornoz, but the people sieged the fortress and destroyed it. Around the 1500 it faces hard wars with Osimo and Jesi. In 1532 Pope Clemente VII occupies the city that does not react and a rebellion in 1534 was hardly repressed. The Marine Repubblic and the age of Free Commune were at the end.

Ancona, lost its freedom, becomes subjected to the State of the Church, than wanted to transform the town as military bastion against the Turks (therefore military town and not trade town). The representatives of the more powerful families were exiled or executed, the town had a serious economic crisis and become depopulated until the minimal limit of 7000 inhabitants. In 1732 the "free port" was instituted, then the port was restored and it was constructed the Contagious disease hospital (il lazzaretto) by Vanvitelli. In the 1797 Napoleon enters the city with the enthusiasm of the giacobins and the Hebrew, but the enthusiasm finished almost immediately: in 1799 the Russians, the Turks, the Austrians besieged the city and drive away the Frenchmen, which in the meantime they had subtracted all kinds of masterpieces of art and of payments. After alternate predominance between papacy and Frenchmen, with the restoration of year 1815 the papal power became stabilized. In the 1817 Carbonarism tries a conspiracy but it fails. The modern history is identified with Italy. Important port in Adriatic, but also important for industry and commerce. It has about 100000 inhabitants

S. Maria della Piazza

What to see
All the hill where the ancient city rosed is very inportant historically and artistically. At the top you find the cathedral of S. Ciriaco, one of the more interesting churches of middle age in the Marche region (rises on the place of a temple dedicated to Venus, with a beautiful panorama on the port and on the city) in shapes Romanesque-gotiche-bizantine.
Moreover you find rests of the roman amphitheatre, the historical palaces of Ancona as the Anziani Palace (year 1200-1400), and the Ferretti Palace that accommodates the National Museum of the Marche which is rich of prehistoric, Picens, Greeks and Romans rests.
Moreover, on the same Guasco hill you find the church of S.Francesco alle Scale with gothic-venetian portal, the Diocesan Museum and the picture-gallery. At the bottom of the hill, the church of S. Maria della Piazza is very interesting, it was constructed in the 13th century on previous churches. On the same street you find the Loggia of the Merchants with venetian gothic facade of the year 1451.
Also to signalize the "Contagious disease hospital" by Vanvitelli also called "Mole Vanvitelliana", the Plebiscite Square (called also "Pope Square"), the Fountain of the Calamus (called Fountain of the 13 cinnamons). In the new part of the city the zone of the "Passetto" deserves a visit, with panoramic sights and the monument to the Fallens in wars.

Pinacoteca - Madonna with Child (Crivelli)

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