SAN CIRIACO

Named after Saint Cyriacus, the Cathedral of San Ciriaco, also known as the Duomo, is one of the most popular landmarks in Ancona. Located on Guasco Hill, on the site of the former acropolis of the city of Ankon, founded by Greek colonizers from Syracuse, the Duomo sits on the foundations of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite.
The Duomo is a jewel of Medieval architecture and one of the finest examples of Byzantine and Gothic influences on Romanesque art. Its unique features, such as the facade, the gate, the dome and the crypt, attest the richness of the history of Ancona.

The church holds a painting, “Maria di San Ciriaco”, venerated by local sailors. According to an official report, in June 1796, just before the French troops invaded the city, a woman saw the eyes of Mary open. The painting was stolen in 1936, then found about a month later in Albano Laziale, a town near Rome. It was immediately brought back to Ancona on January 31st, 1937.

In 1926, Pope Pius XI declared the Cathedral “basilica minor”, and today it is the seat of the Archdiocese of Ancona-Osimo.

Whereas the Arch of Trajan is Ancona’s secular symbol, the Cathedral of San Ciriaco is undoubtedly its religious symbol.