Tom`s travels: Ancona (16/06/2020)

As the weather became warmer and the days longer I decided to walk along another pilgrimage way I had found out and researched online. The way, called Via Lauretana, is an ancient Marian pilgrimage route that, since the Middle Ages, has connected Rome to the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto. The current way covers the part between Assisi and Loreto, or in my case vice-versa. To get there though I first had to take a train all the way to Ancona and so, having never been there, I also decided to visit the city for a day before starting the hike. After taking an early train I had to switch twice, once in Padova and once in Bologna, before finally arriving about 6 hours later in the city of Ancona. After reaching the train station I decided to head to my hotel first and leave my backpack there before exploring the city. I picked one of the cheapest and most central options, Hotel Dorico, which was not the best I ever had but was quite central, right in front of the train station. After checking in and dropping my bag I decided to explore the city on foot and started to head northwards towards the old town. The area around Ancona is very hill, as is the city center which is built on a hilltop slowing down towards the sea. That meant that in order to reach the center I had to first head uphill where I had a beautiful view of the port with the 18th century Mole Vanvitelliana, a pentagonal building built on an artificial island that used to serve as a quarantine station and leprosarium; modern thinking for the time. Despite the modern piers and cranes covering most of the view of the port I still thought the sun, sea, and Mediterranean flora around me contributed positively to the sight. From the panoramic spot, I then headed downhill, through narrow streets sided by old buildings marking that I was now approaching the old town. I passed by the church of San Giovanni Battista which was closed and reached then the lowest part of town where the central Piazza Della Repubblica is located. Nearby I then visited the other central square, Piazza del Plebiscito. This one, being the oldest, is also the nicest looking, surrounded by historical buildings which mostly haven't suffered changes. Its rectangular form built slightly uphill is sided by the gothic-renaissance Palazzo del Governo and other elegant palaces, and closed off to the north by the imposing unfinished church of San Domenico, dating to the 18th century. Its construction started in 1771 and took several years, but when the French invaded in the late 1700s the facade which was still ongoing unable to be completed, and the church was turned into a barracks. After admiring the square I then continued on through the narrow medieval streets and passed by two beautiful buildings, the Palazzo Benincasa and the Loggia dei Mercanti. The former is a large gothic house once belonging to the rich merchant Dionisio Benincasa while the latter is a gothic palace with an intricate facade decoration, a clearly Venetian influence, that once served as the base and meeting point for the city's merchants. Not far from there I then reached the small church of Santa Maria Della Piazza. Its size and location, quite hidden among some modern buildings, didn't entice me to enter it, but then I noticed its facade and was immediately captured by it. It presents in fact a beautifully ornate Romanesque facade dating to 1210 with clear Byzantine influences. Its upper part crumbled during the earthquake of 1690 and was reconstructed with simple bricks, thus creating the sharp contrast that gives it a somewhat unfinished touch nowadays. After admiring the exterior I decided to explore the inside which featured an airy simple Romanesque nave. The interesting part though lay beneath it, in fact, a staircase led to an underground level that featured the ancient early Christian basilica dating to the 4th century. There I was able to admire so well preserved mosaics which date to the 4th century with some others dating to the 6th and 7th centuries when the basilica was refurbished. After heading back up I then continued my walk through the city center, reaching then another unfinished church, that of San Francesco alle Scale. Dating to the 14th century, it features a beautiful gothic portal by Giorgio di Matteo (who also worked on the Loggia dei Mercanti and the Porta Della Carta on the Ducal Palace in Venice). The unfinished appearance which is evident on the church's facade is due to the fact that during the 18th century the whole interior was refurbished and an extra floor added in order to allow more light inside. This in turn meant the facade was also elevated and was made in simple brick architecture, providing the sharp contrast seen today. The interior was in fact very large, airy, and filled with light, but didn't contain anything particularly noteworthy. Continuing on my walk I then passed by a nice square, Piazza Stracca, once the Piazza del Comune, with some important buildings surrounding it and a nice view of the port. To the east lay the Chiesa del Gesu', a late baroque church which was redesigned by Vanvitelli, at that time closed, and to the west the Palazzo degli Anziani, a gothic palace with renaissance and baroque additions which used to serve as the main building for the ruling body of the city and nowadays still maintaining its original role as the town hall. A little forward I then passed by the church of the Santi Pellegrino e Teresa, a large circular baroque church that was unfortunately closed. Next to it is the National Archaeological Museum, hosted inside the 16th century Palazzo Ferretti, and across the street is the Palazzo del Senato, a romanesque palace dating to the 13th century. As the street then started to head further uphill, I passed by the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, one of the most important traces of the ancient Roman past of the city. Its southern part is englobed in some medieval buildings with its lower part of the walls clearly visible, while the northern part consists of an open-air archaeological site with traces of the foundations all around. The amphitheater was built between two hills, the Colle Guasco and the Colle dei Cappuccini, and right above the cliffs sloping down to the sea. The street then continued further uphill finally taking me to the highest spot in town with splendid views of the old town, port, and sea. It is here that the Cathedral was built, standing on the site of the former acropolis of the Greek city, the Guasco hill which overlooks Ancona and its gulf. It features a Romanesque style that mixes well with Byzantine and Gothic elements. It presents a greek cross plan with the main entrance facing towards the port and the bell tower, dating to the 13th century, is detached by a few meters as is common for many other cathedrals in Italy. A wide staircase leads to the main 13th century Romanesque portal, formed by a round arch, with typical anthropomorphic and mythological figures, supported by four columns, the front two of which featured Veronese red marble lions. The interior is typical of the period, with reused ancient roman columns with Byzantine capitals and naves with hull-shaped painted wooden vaults dating from the 15th century. The dome is considered as one of the oldest examples of a church dome in Italy; together with the church of Sant'Antonio at Padua and St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, it was one of the few contemporary examples of domes built in churches, instead than in separate baptisteries. The interior also featured a nice crypt, called the Cripta dei Protettori, where the precious urns containing the remains of Saint Cyriacus of Ancona, Saints Liberius and Marcellinus, and of Saint Palatia are located. After visiting the Cathedral, I decided to descend the hill and reach the port. Here, I first passed by the impressive Arco di Traiano, another testimony of the city's ancient past. This ancient Roman triumphal arch was erected in the 2nd century during Trajan's reign and due to its near-perfect state of conservation is considered as one the most important in the former Roman world. From the arch a nice walkway led then to another arch, the Arco Clementino, this having been built in 1738 by Luigi Vanvitelli. It was designed to serve as the new entry point to the old port of the city as a triumphal entrance. Nowadays, due to the more modern needs of the port, the arch stands at about halfway the length of the pier, where a more modern breakwater has been built extending it further. From there, as I turned around, I could clearly admire the old town of Ancona sloping down from the hills to the sea and I could make out the main monuments of the city with the Cathedral at its highest point. After heading back towards the city center I decided to head back uphill and this time walk past the old town and through the beautiful Parco del Cardeto. This large park, the largest of the city, extends between the Colle dei Cappuccini and the Colle del Cardeto to the east and north of the city and bordered by the cliffs overlooking the sea to the north. As I ascended and walked through the park I had several opportunities to take some nice photos of the old town and port below. The park, filled with nice flora, is also characterized by some historical monuments and buildings, such as the old lighthouse, built in 1860, military structures such as a few forts that were used since the Renaissance, and an interesting area known as the Campo degli Ebrei. This Jewish cemetery contains funerary stones with Jewish inscriptions dating from the 15th century to the 19th century and is among the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe and one of the best-preserved. As I reached the end of the park I then found a small pathway leading down the cliffs which eventually brought me to sea level. Here a few shacks used to keep the boats during winter were now used as a base for a few kids who were enjoying their time at the sea. I took the chance for a nice swim as well and then dried out on the rocks while admiring the view. After that, I headed back the same way I came down and walked further until I reached a small beach called Passetto. The sun was now covered by the cliffs so it was all already under the shade, but some people were still there enjoying the fresh air and view. The sun was starting to set and it was time for me to find a place for dinner. I walked back up the cliffs using the monumental staircase of the Monumento dei Caduti, the large monument built in the 1920s for the fallen of the first world war. From there I then followed the nice Viale Della Vittoria, a large avenue cutting through the city in the direction of the old town. After a bit of walking, I reached the Piazza Cavour, a large square that separates the new and old town. Not long after I then walked through the pretty Piazza Roma which holds the nice Fontana dei Cavalli, built in 1758. Right next to it is the Fontana del Calamo, a beautiful Renaissance fountain made up of thirteen faucets. Legend says that those leaving the city should drink of it before departure if they hope to come back after their journey. After checking out a few places on the way I decided to eat a restaurant called La Cantineta, which served typical seafood. I had an excellent dinner and didn't spend too much. Once full I decided to have a last stroll before heading back to the hotel, I headed once again to the Arch of Trajan and to the Arch of Clementino and from there walked along the port back to my accommodation and finally to sleep ready for my upcoming pilgrimage.