Ancona is an Architectural Draw

Ancona, Italy on the Adriatic Sea is an architectural delight. Founded by the Greeks in approximately 387 B.C., the coastal town boasts rolling hills with pretty parks and bustling boulevards. There are also plenty of beaches to stretch out on, like Spiaggia del Passetto, which leads down to the sea with a great stone staircase.

The centuries-old hilltop Cathedral of San Ciriaco is a popular Ancona attraction, not just for its Gothic, Roman, and Byzantine influences, but for the great view of the city and the sea from its vantage point. Likewise, the World War I memorial, Monumento ai Caduti, offers stunning views.

Ancona also offers interesting relics of the past on each side of the city, such as the Arch of Trajan and the man-made island Lazzaretto, a quarantine base built in the 1700s.