West of Ancona

<< Marche

Most of the Province of Ancona is occupied by hills and mountains. West of the capital of Marche are several small towns hosting historic attractions, such as Jesi and Fabriano. Here are also a few popular seaside resorts, most notably Senigallia.

Senigallia

Senigallia is a city located along the Adriatic coast northwest of Ancona. The town was founded by the Senones, a Gallic tribe, in the 4th century BCE, and later became a Roman city with the name Sena Gallica. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the five cities of the Byzantine Duchy of the Pentapolis. The town was later contested between local powers for centuries, before finally being annexed by the Papal States and eventually joining Italy when the country was unified.

Rocca Roveresca

The Rocca Roveresca is a Renaissance fort built in the 15th century under the rule of the Della Rovere family. The fort is well preserved and features four round angular towers and an internal courtyard. The Rocca Roveresca now serves as a museum and hosts cultural events and exhibitions.

Palazzetto Baviera

Palazzetto Baviera is a historic palace located next to the Rocca Roveresca. The palace features various halls with a large series of elaborate stucco decorations dating from the 16th century.

Senigallia Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo (Cattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo)

The Senigallia Cathedral (Duomo di Senigallia) is the main church of the city, built in the 18th century in Baroque style. The church faces the main square of the city and houses some artworks and a sarcophagus dating from the 6th century. Adjacent to the church is the Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano), which houses several paintings and religious artworks spanning several centuries.

Jesi

Jesi is a city located along the Esino river west of Ancona. Founded by the Umbri, it was later a Roman town with the name Aesis. In the Late Middle Ages, Jesi was a free comune and ruled over a small territory around the town. During this time, the future Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was born here. After being contested by various local powers, Jesi came under the rule of the Papal States, becoming part of Italy when the country was unified.

Frederick II Museum

The Frederick II Museum (Museo Federico II) is a museum in Jesi dedicated to Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who was born here in 1194. The museum is hosted in a historic building facing the main square of the town, and features various multimedia exhibitions dedicated to the life of Frederick II. A monument of the emperor is located at the entrance of the palace.

Jesi Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Settimio (Cattedrale di San Settimio)

The Jesi Cathedral (Duomo di Jesi) is a church originally founded in the Late Middle Ages and completely rebuilt in Baroque style during the 18th century. Its interiors host numerous interesting artworks, including a 16th-century funerary monument. Adjacent to the church is the Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano), which hosts various religious artworks.

Palazzo della Signoria

Palazzo della Signoria is a Renaissance palace in Jesi, built between the 15th and the 16th century. The palace features a decorated portal and a large relief on its facade. The building houses some decorated halls and various artworks, and it hosts a historic library.

Palazzo Pianetti

Palazzo Pianetti is a historic palace and museum complex in Jesi. The building was erected in the 18th century and features richly decorated halls adorned with frescoes and rococo elements. The palace hosts the Civic Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Civica), a collection of artworks which includes some paintings by Lorenzo Lotto and also works of modern and contemporary art. Palazzo Pianetti also houses the Civic Archaeological Museum of Jesi and the Territory (Museo Civico Archeologico di Jesi e del Territorio), which includes several prehistoric finds and some Roman sculptures.

Castelleone di Suasa

Castelleone di Suasa is a tiny town in the Province of Ancona. The ruins of the ancient Roman town of Suasa are located nearby.

Archaeological Park of the Roman City of Suasa

Suasa was a town founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BCE, after the Battle of Sentinum. The town was abandoned around the 6th century. Now, the Archaeological Park of the Roman City of Suasa (Parco Archeologico della Città Romana di Suasa) includes the ruins of various structures of the ancient town, including an amphitheater, a theater, and a domus adorned with mosaics. Various objects unearthed here are displayed in the Civic Archaeological Museum of the Roman City of Suasa (Museo Civico Archeologico della Città Romana di Suasa) in the nearby town of Castelleone di Suasa.

Arcevia

Arcevia is a small town located on top of a hill in the Province of Ancona. During the Middle Ages, the village was fortified and was known as Rocca Contrada. After a period as a free comune, it was ruled by the Papal States and it gained its current name in 1817. The town still preserves its medieval features and has various historic landmarks.

Collegiate Church of San Medardo

The Collegiate Church of San Medardo (Collegiata di San Medardo) is the most important religious building in Arcevia, built during the Late Middle Ages. The church houses various artworks, including the elaborate Arcevia Altarpiece (Polittico di Arcevia), painted in 1508 by Luca Signorelli.

State Archaeological Museum of Arcevia

The State Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Statale) of Arcevia is an archaeological museum housing various finds from the area around the town. Its collection includes objects and artworks mostly dating from prehistory, with some pieces of Greek and Roman origin.

Sassoferrato

Sassoferrato is a small town located in the Province of Ancona, near the border with Umbria. Its territory includes the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Sentinum.

Archaeological Park of Sentinum

Sentinum was an Umbrian settlement and later a Roman town located near the modern town of Sassoferrato. In 295 BCE, this was the site of a battle in which the Romans decisively defeated a coalition of Italic peoples. The town was destroyed in 41 BCE during a civil war, but it was later rebuilt and ultimately abandoned around the 5th century. The Archaeological Park of Sentinum (Parco Archeologico di Sentinum) now houses a few ruins of some structures of the ancient town, including the thermae. Numerous objects, artworks, and mosaics have been found in the excavations here.

Genga

Genga is a tiny town located among the hills of the Province of Ancona, known for hosting in its territory various historic attractions and one of the most notable cave systems in Italy.

✪ Frasassi Caves

The Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi) is one of the largest and most popular cave systems in Italy. The caves were discovered in 1971, and were opened to the public in 1974. The system is formed by various large chambers, which feature a series of interesting rock formations, including tall stalactites and stalagmites. The caves are inhabited by a large colony of bats and various small amphibians and crustaceans.

Abbey of San Vittore alle Chiuse

The Abbey of San Vittore alle Chiuse (Abbazia di San Vittore alle Chiuse) is a Romanesque church built in the 11th century and located near the Frasassi Caves. The church features various medieval decorations and some elements influenced by Byzantine architecture. The site was abandoned in the 15th century, but various structures survive to this day.

Hermitage of Santa Maria Infra Saxa and Temple of Valadier

The Hermitage of Santa Maria Infra Saxa (Eremo di Santa Maria Infra Saxa) and the Temple of Valadier (Tempio di Valadier) are two religious sites located in a cavity near the Frasassi Caves. The hermitage was built around the 11th century by Benedectine monks. The Temple of Valadier is instead an octagonal temple erected in the 19th century inside a wide cave on the side of a mountain.

Fabriano

Fabriano is a city in the Province of Ancona, and an industrial center known for the production of paper. The town emerged during the Middle Ages, and was a free comune before becoming part of the Papal States and eventually Italy. The old town of Fabriano features various historic landmarks.

Bruno Molajoli Civic Art Gallery

The Bruno Molajoli Civic Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Civica Bruno Molajoli) is an art museum in Fabriano, hosted in a former hospital built in the 15th century. The museum includes a rich collection of artworks spanning a period between the Late Middle Ages and the 20th century, with large sections dedicated to medieval and Renaissance art.

Fabriano Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of San Venanzio (Cattedrale di San Venanzio)

The Fabriano Cathedral (Cattedrale di Fabriano) is the main religious site in the city. Founded in the Late Middle Ages, the church was later reworked with the addition of Baroque decorations. The interior of the church features various artworks. The Diocesan Museum of Fabriano (Museo Diocesano di Fabriano), which houses some religious artworks, is adjacent to the cathedral.

Palazzo del Podestà

Palazzo del Podestà is a historic palace in Fabriano, built in Gothic style during the 13th century. The palace was for centuries the residence of the local rulers and features some ancient frescoes. The square in front of the building hosts the Sturinalto, a decorated 13th-century fountain.

Paper and Watermark Museum

The Paper and Watermark Museum (Museo della Carta e della Filigrana) is a museum in Fabriano dedicated to the history of the traditional production of paper in the city, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The museum hosts the reproduction of a medieval paper mill which shows the entire process of the production of paper.