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Bill Thayer

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Ancona Province

A province of the Marche region. Area: 1940 sq. km. Population in 2003: 452,200 • 49 comuni

[image ALT: The brick hulk of a large Gothic church, seen from the rear. It is a view of the cathedral of Fabriano in the Marche (central Italy).]

A characteristic view of the cathedral of Fabriano, in the western part of the province.

A few places I've been to, strung along the main railway line from Rome and Umbria to the Adriatic, represented for now by very small sites:


[image ALT: A pier, some 300 meters of it visible in the photo, stretching off toward the horizon. It includes a 2‑lane paved road, at least 7 large industrial cranes of different kinds, two midsize parking lots full of cars, and an assortment of small buildings, radio and weather towers, etc. One small tugboat is moored on the landward side, but no ships are to be seen. After a great stretch of open sea, the distant horizon is land again. It is a very partial view of the port of Ancona in the Marche (central Italy).]

[ 8/12/03: 2 pages, 1 photo, further resources ]

The capital Ancona, shielded by a rocky spur into the sea which makes it one of the few natural harbors on the Italian Adriatic, is an industrial port; and that's what it was in Roman days, as well. If most of the Roman remains were quarried and demolished in the Middle Ages — except for the famous triumphal arch you see here — the town has some wonderful churches; good food, too.


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[ 8/12/03: 2 pages, 1 photo, further resources ]

Just up the coast, about 3 hours' walk, is the beach town of Senigallia. It's a perfect place to get a tan; this being Italy though, it's also full of history, back to the early period of the Roman republic and marching on thru some turbulent times in the Middle Ages and later, which have left among other monuments a massive crenellated fortress in the center of town.


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[ 8/14/03: 2 pages, 2 photos, further resources ]

Inland, on the other hand, half an hour or so from Ancona by train, is the fortified city of Jesi: like most of the province's larger towns, Roman in origin or even earlier, but its principal monuments are medieval and Renaissance. Jesi is also proud to have been the birthplace of Pergolesi.


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[ 5/12/01: 1 page, 7 photos ]

Keep following the railroad inland to about 60 km from the coast and you'll find Fabriano, a small town in the Appennine mountains: usually rather attractive, but when I was last there it was rebuilding, with great energy, from the damage it suffered in the 1997 earthquakes — so my visit there was like going to see a friend when her house is a mess: you like her, but you'll come back later. Still, I can show you something of the town's churches: a little bit now, more later.

A small site is also on its way for the area around Genga, including the church of S. Vittore alle Chiuse. For now, please use the search engine in the navigation bar below to find my diary entries, with further photos and information.

I don't know this part of Italy as well as I could; you'll therefore often find yourself using offsite resources.


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Page updated: 5 Dec 17