Almost 300 km northeast of Rome is Ancona, the administrative capital of the Marche and the largest city in the region. The city was founded by Greek settlers in 390 BC who name it after the elbow-shaped promontory that sheltered the city: Ankon – a rough transliteration of the Greek word for “elbow”. Over the centuries it became a Roman colony but, unlike other cities of northern and central Italy  it never became a seigniory. In 1532 it was included into the Papal States where it remained until the Unification of Italy. Together with Rome and the French city of Avignon, Ancona was the only city in the Papal States where the Jews were allowed to stay and live in the ghetto.Along with a few   truly amazing squares and churches, like Santa Maria della Piazza and Piazza Plebiscito, Ancona’s finest hallmarks are: the stately cathedral of San Ciriaco, that harmoniously combines Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It is a Romanesque building of stone built in the form of a Greek cross with a supreme dome, a magnificent façade and a Gothic doorway with two lions on each side. The breathtaking view out to the port, the city and the Adriatic Sea is well worth a visit.  
The marble Arch of Trajan  - a 18 m high memorial erected atop the harbor wall in honor of the emperor under whom improvement work to the port had been made stands emotionless amidst the hustle and bustle of city life and of the busy port nearby.
The massive Lazzaretto or Mole Vanvitelliana, built in the early 1700s and characterized by an unconventional pentagonal shape, was a military defensive post and a lazaretto where seaman and travellers were made to quarantine to protect the city from contagious diseases. Nowadays it is the fantastic venue for symposiums, conventions, exhibits and summer festival.  
Ancona’s imposing plaza-like Teatro delle Muse which underwent thorough restoration a few years ago is admittedly the pride and joy of the locals. It features a neoclassical façade, stunning modern interior design along with  cutting-edge technology, and an artistically significant fireproof curtain by the renowned artist Valeriano Trubbiani. It is perhaps the most beautiful of the region’s 70 up and running historic venues/theatres. 
The 16^th century Fontana del Calamo o delle tredici cannelle, a perfect row of 13 masked spouts  - twelve in bronze and a central one made of stone – representing satyrs and fauns. Tradition has it that if travellers drink the water they will come back to the city! 
The Pinacoteca Comunale or art gallery in Palazzo Bosdari that is home to over 100 works by the greatest Italian painters, including Titian, Andrea del Sarto, Guercino and Crivelli. 
The most uncommon Omero Tactile Museum provides visitors, especially the visually impaired,  with the opportunity to perceive masterpieces through tactile exploration, literally feeling art. Its archaeological portion displays several bronzes, ceramics and plaster casts and wooden models  of notorious sculptures of Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Neoclassic times, as well as modern sculptures. Not to be missed is the architectural segment with models of the Pantheon of Rome, St. Peter’s Basilica, San Ciriaco Cathedral of Ancona and the Parthenon of Athens.