SANTA MARIA DELLA PIAZZA

The Church of Santa Maria della Piazza, located in the ancient district of Porto, is a jewel tucked near the seaside – undoubtedly one of the most beautiful churches in the region. A remarkable example of Romanesque style, the church was built between the 11th and 12th century upon the foundations of a fourth-century Early Christian church. Mosaics dating back from that era are preserved and visible under glass flooring.

The church was named Santa Maria del Canneto, then Santa Maria del Mercato, because of its proximity to the port and later to the the market. For centuries, the investiture ceremony of the podestà (the town mayor in the Middle Ages) of the free commune of Ancona was held in the churchyard.

The church was restored twice in the 20th century. First in 1928 by Luigi Serra, who raised the floor of the transept back to its original level, then again in 1980, by the Archaeological Superintendence of Le Marche: some of the previous restoration work was corrected, the flooring of the presbytery was lowered and the Neo-Romanesque altar was removed, but most importantly, the underlying Early Christian basilica was made accessible to visitors.

Opening hours:

Winter timetable
From Monday to Sunday from 10 am to noon / 4 pm to 6 pm

Summer timetable
From May to September, from Thursday to Sunday, the church is open from 10 am to 6 pm non-stop
From Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to noon / 4 pm to 6 pm