Ancona in one day on foot or by bike
If you are here… you’re planning to explore Ancona in one day, whether on foot, by bike or motorbike.
The starting point is charming Portella Santa Maria, a gateway to the heart of the old town.
From here, go for a walk or a ride in the historic center of Ancona, through splendid Piazza San Francesco, named after the beautiful church, up to the Palazzo degli Anziani.
If you are on foot, walking down the Vanvitelli promenade, take Vicolo della Serpe, an alley that will lead you through a small door directly to Piazza San Francesco: you’ll feel like a visitor in the Middle Ages!
A few steps further down Via Ciriaco Pizzecolli, let yourself be surprised by the Civic Art Galley “F. Podesti”, housed in the eighteenth-century Palazzo Bosdari. Founded in 1884, it holds masterpieces of extraordinary significance: Titian’s Pala Gozzi – the Venetian master’s first signed and dated work – Carlo Crivelli’s Madonna and Child, and Lorenzo Lotto’s Sacra Conversazione, alongside works by Sebastiano del Piombo, Guercino, Carlo Maratti, and a rich twentieth-century collection. A genuine window onto Italian and Marche art from the fourteenth century to the present day.
From here you can resume the climb and, if you’re interested, stop to visit the Chiesa del Gesù, a church designed by Luigi Vanvitelli.
Continue your journey to the Archaeological Museum, definitely worth a visit on its own.
The next stop is the Roman Amphitheater, worth the visit in itself… and for the panorama.
At the top of Guasco Hill you’ll find the Cathedral of San Ciriaco that overlooks the city and the sea. Time to relax on a bench!
Head towards the port to Trajan’s Arch, a monument dedicated to the Roman Emperor.
“Echoing” Trajan’s Arch, a bit further, the Clementine Arch was commissioned by Pope Clement XII to architect Luigi Vanvitelli.
Walk through the old port of Ancona, a city rich in history and full of life, where the sunsets will amaze you.
Continue to the Lanterna Rossa (Red Lighthouse), one of the symbols of Ancona, and an ideal place for iconic selfie moments.
From here, venture back into the city and immerse yourself in its green lung, Cardeto Park. Here you can visit the Jewish Cemetery, the old and the new lighthouses, the Castelfidardo Armory.
