Sirolo
An evocative medieval village, set like a pearl between the greenery of the Conero and the blue of the Adriatic. A labyrinth of alleys to walk through, between picturesque corners and monuments such as the church of San Nicola from 1765, built on the remains of a pre-existing church dating back to 1230, the 18th century church of the Rosary, a few steps from the medieval gate, and the Cortesi municipal theatre, a jewel of late 19th century architecture. From the panoramic square in the center you can admire the splendor of the coast.
Numana
A small historic center nestled on the top of the promontory overlooking the port. In the square of the belvedere stands “the Tower”, the remnant of the bell tower of a medieval church or of a watchtower. Costarella, with its limestone houses once mainly inhabited by fishermen, is the most characteristic street, the passage between the upper part and the sea.
Ancona
Founded by the Syracusans in the fourth century, is the most important harbour of the Adriatic Sea after Venice. It has one of the most beautiful Romanesque monuments in central Italy, the Cathedral of S. Ciriaco, as well as other important buildings such as the Loggia dei Mercanti, the Church of S. Francesco and the Pinacoteca Civica. The famous Grotte del Passetto are worth a visit, in one of the most suggestive city beaches in Italy. Once warehouses for fishermen’s boats, today they are a colorful summer refuge for the “grottaroli”, a symbol of Doric sociality.
Camerano and the caves
The small hilltop village a few kilometers from the Conero hides one of the most mysterious and fascinating places in the region. An underground city excavated in the sandstone and structured in a labyrinthine path of about three kilometers extends below the historic center. Over the centuries the hypogeum has been expanded to reveal architectural ornaments, religious bas-reliefs and circular rooms, evidence of a history that has not been fully deciphered, which ranges from the ancient pagan rites up to the two world wars.
Osimo
The Roman Auximum, rich in ancient remains, such as the thirteen statues of the imperial era preserved in the Palazzo Comunale, and religious monuments, such as the Cathedral of San Leopardo and the Basilica of San Giuseppe da Copertino. Also worthy of interest are the underground caves, a labyrinthine complex of artificial tunnels dug into the rock that connect some of the city’s noble palaces.
Offense
Dominated by the scenic Rocca with a square plan with towers and an imposing keep.
Loreto
City linked to the largest Marian sanctuary in Italy and to the Holy House of Nazareth, a place of worship visited every year by millions of pilgrims from all over the world. Some of the greatest artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries worked in the basilica: Melozzo da Forlì, Luca Signorelli, Bramante, Sansovino and Lorenzo Lotto.
Recanati
“Natio borgo” by Giacomo Leopardi, where you can explore the places of his life and the glimpses in which his verses still resonate. From the bell tower of the church of Sant’Agostino, the tower of the solitary sparrow, passing through the square of Sabato del Villaggio with Palazzo Leopardi, the church of Santa Maria di Monte Morello where he was baptized, Silvia’s humble home, up to the famous Hill of Infinity.