Ancona

Ancona is the capital of the Marche region and its main Adriatic port city. Part of its medieval centre was bombed during the Second World War, but the city still holds substantial ancient and medieval monuments. Its Romanesque-Byzantine cathedral, San Ciriaco, stands on Guasco Hill overlooking the port and gulf, built over the remains of an ancient temple. Down at the harbour, the Arch of Trajan, a white marble Roman monument nearly 2,000 years old, is one of the city's best-preserved ancient structures; a First World War memorial built during the Fascist era also stands on the waterfront. South of the city, the promontory of Mount Conero forms a dramatic stretch of rocky coastline, in contrast to the flatter sandy beaches further north toward Pesaro; the resort of Portonovo sits at the mountain's base. Ancona's port is a major hub for ferries connecting Italy to Croatia, Greece, and Albania.

Ancona has its own railway station with regional and high-speed connections to Bologna, Rome, and Milan. Ancona Falconara Airport serves the city, and the port is a major hub for ferries to Croatia (Split, Zadar), Greece (Igoumenitsa, Patras, Corfu), and Albania (Durrës).

Conerobus operates the city's public bus network, covering the centre, railway station, airport, and nearby beaches; tickets are sold at tobacconists and newsstands as well as on board.

The Cathedral of San Ciriaco, a Romanesque-Byzantine church on Guasco Hill, overlooks the port and city and was built over an earlier temple. The Arch of Trajan, a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman marble monument, stands on the harbourfront, alongside a First World War memorial from the Fascist era.

The Mount Conero promontory just south of the city offers rocky coastline and beaches, with the resort of Portonovo at its base, popular for swimming and hiking the Conero park trails.

Ancona's port connects onward by ferry to Croatia, Greece, and Albania; by land, Mount Conero and Portonovo lie just south of the city, and Pesaro lies up the coast to the north.