Page 378 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

376  CENTR AL IT AL Y

9 Ancona
* 98,000. k V @ g n Via della
Loggia 50 (071 35 89 91). ( Tue & Fri.
∑ turismo.marche.it
The capital of Le Marche and
its largest port (with ferries to
and from Greece and Croatia),
Ancona dates back to at least
the 5th century BC, when it was
settled by Greek exiles from
Siracusa. Its name derives from
ankon (Greek for “elbow”), a
reference to the rocky spur that
juts into the sea to form the
Fresh seafood and fishing boats in the harbour at Ancona town’s fine natural harbour.
Heavy bombing during
7 Grotte di Frasassi paintings by Lorenzo Lotto. World War II destroyed much
Almost as alluring as the gallery’s of the medieval town. The
Ancona. Tel 0732 97 21 66. V Genga
San Vittore Terme. Open daily. Guided paintings, however, is the great 15th­century Loggia dei
tours only (70 mins). Closed 1 Jan, central salon – a riot of Rococo Mercanti (Merchants’ Exchange)
10–30 Jan, 4 Dec, 25 Dec. & 8 decoration that once formed on Via della Loggia survives
∑ grotte-di-frasassi.it the centrepiece of the Palazzo as a monument to the town’s
Pianetti. The nearby Palazzo medieval heyday.
Some of Europe’s largest publicly della Signoria features an Just north of the loggia is
accessible caverns lie in the interesting collection of archae­ the Romanesque church of
cave network gouged out by ological finds, while beyond the Santa Maria della Piazza,
the River Sentino southwest of old town’s Renaissance walls with a lovely façade. The nearby
Jesi. Of the vast network of stands the 14th­century church Pinacoteca Comunale F
18 km (11 miles), an area of of San Marco, known for its Podesti e Galleria d’Arte
about 1,000 m (3,281 ft) is open collection of well­preserved Moderna includes canvases
to the public. The colossal Grotta Giottesque frescoes. by Titian and Lorenzo Lotto.
del Vento is large enough to In the Museo Archeologico
contain Milan cathedral – its E Pinacoteca e Musei Civici Nazionale delle Marche there
ceiling extends to a height of Via XV Settembre. Tel 0731 53 83 42. are displays of Greek, Gallic
240 m (787 ft). This cavern has Open Tue–Sun. & and Roman art. The Arco di
been used for a range of experi­ P Palazzo della Signoria Traiano, by the harbour, was
ments, from sensory deprivation Piazza Colocci. Tel 0731 53 83 45. erected in AD 115 and is one
to an exploration of the social Open Mon–Sat. Closed Mon am of Italy’s better preserved
consequences of leaving a & Sat pm. Roman arches.
group of people alone in its
depths for long periods.

8 Jesi
Ancona. * 41,000. V @ n Piazza
della Repubblica 11 (0731 53 84 20).
( Wed & Sat.
Perched on a long, rocky
ridge, Jesi lies in the heart of
the verdant hill country where
Verdicchio is produced. A crisp,
white wine, Verdicchio is
bottled in unique containers –
glass models of the terracotta
amphorae once used to export
the wine to ancient Greece.
There are many vineyards in the
surrounding countryside.
Housed in the town’s
18th­century Palazzo Pianetti is
the Pinacoteca e Musei Civici,
which contains fine late­period An impressive cavern in the cave system of the Grotte di Frasassi
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp569–73 and pp590–96

376-377_EW_Italy.indd 376 4/4/17 5:36 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.6)
Date 27th June 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm