Ancona Car Hire discovering the land

Founded by the Greeks of Syracuse in 387 B.C., Ancona is a city with a long history, a rich heritage and a natural harbour of extraordinary importance, to which the city owes its name.

In fact, Ancona is located on an elbow-shaped promontory, a feature already noticed by its founders who decided to christen it “Ankòn”, which means “elbow” in Greek.

Another special feature of Ancona is its characteristic geographical shape: it is in fact the only city where the sun rises and sets over the sea, because its gulf traverses both the east and the west.

What to see in Ancona: the historic centre

Often “overshadowed” by the beauty of the nearby Riviera del Conero, Ancona is actual-ly a perfect destination for a holiday between sea and history.

Nicknamed “Doric City”, the capital of Marche region hides countless beautiful sights that are worth getting to know and boasts a fascinating coastline as well as unspoilt natu-ral areas and excellent products, such as honey, oil and lavender.

Equally evocative are the areas around Ancona, which offer fantastic beaches, enchant-ing villages and landscapes of unrivalled beauty.

A car is the best way to visit the capital of Le Marche region and its nearby attractions, as it allows you to move from one place to another, following your own itinerary.

To rent a car in Ancona you can go to the Maggiore office located in Piazza Rosselli, not far from the train station, while there is another office in Fabriano for the area surround-ing that city.

Choosing Maggiore means choosing an experienced partner that has made the quality and safety of its vehicle its “trademark.” All Maggiore rental cars are modern, well-equipped and scrupulously sanitised to guarantee a safe journey.

In just 5 minutes by car from the Maggiore office near the station you can reach the histor-ic centre and stop at Piazza del Plebiscito or “Piazza del Papa” where you can visit the Church of San Domenico, which houses Titan’s the “Crucifixion” and Guercino’s “An-nunciation”, and the City Museum, a rich collection that traces the most important events in Ancona’s history.

From here, you can easily reach the magnificent Duomo dedicated to San Ciriaco, a Romanesque cathedral perched on top of the Guasco hill, and the Mole Vanvitelliana or “Lazzaretto”, a special pentagonal-shaped structure connected to the mainland by three bridges. You can then continue on to the Church of Santa Maria della Piazza, which houses mosaic floors from the 4th and 6 centuries AD, and the Arch of Trajan, one of the best preserved in the world.

There is so much more to see in Ancona, such as the Loggia dei Mercanti, a magnificent palazzo known for its Venetian floral Gothic style, Palazzo Ferretti, a late Renaissance building that houses the National Archaeological Museum, the Teatro delle Muse, the largest in Le Marche, and the Fontana del Calamo or “Fontana delle Tredici Cannelle”, one of the symbols of the city.

Your tour of Le Marche’s capital is not complete without a visit to the beautiful Mercato delle Erbe (Herb Market) and a taste of some of its specialties such as brodetto all’anconitana (fish stew) and cremini fritti (fried custard).

Relax on the beaches of Ancona

After wandering around the city, you can take the car to discover the sea and beaches of Ancona, which will surprise you with their incomparable beauty.

Take the car into the city and drive about 8 km to Mezzavalle beach, a magnificent pebble and stone beach at the foot of the Conero, and to Passetto beach, a rocky lido where you will also find the Passetto grottos, ancient shelters for boats dug out of the rock.

A further 30 minutes will take you to Palombina beach, in the northern part of the Conero Riveria, characterised by shallow waters and fine sand and therefore also suitable for children.

Other beaches to visit in and around the capital are the beaches of Sirolo, a seaside vil-lage with treasures such as Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle, the symbol of Le Marche coast-line, the beach of San Michele, which can be reached either by car by following one of the paths on Monte Conero, and the beach of Urbani, with its characteristic half-moon shape.

It is also worth mentioning the beautiful beaches of Numana, namely Spiaggiola and Marcelli. If you want to move away from the capital then take the A14 motorway and im-merse yourself in the beauty of the beaches of Senigallia, such as Marzocca beach, bathed by a crystal-clear sea, Levante beach, 14 km long, and Baia Canaria, a dog-friendly beach.

The most beautiful villages to visit near Ancona

Your tour of Ancona and the surrounding area must include a visit to the villages near the capital city.

From the city centre, take the car and head for Staffolo, a medieval town nicknamed the “balcony of Vallesina”, which will captivate you with its historic centre and its landscapes dominated by Verdicchio vineyards, Osimo, a town with a history stretching back thou-sands of years, also known as the “Piceno metropolis”, and the nearby municipality of Camerano, where you can see the famous Camerano Caves and also take a tour of the wineries that produce Rosso Conero, a DOC wine from Monte Conero.

There are many more places to visit near the capital: don’t miss a visit to Sirolo and to Numana before heading inland again to Offagna, one of “Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages”, Genga, a medieval jewel that is home to the Frasassi Caves, Corinaldo, with its magnifi-cent and well-preserved fortified walls, Loreto, home to one of the most important Marian shrines in the world, and Recanati where you can stroll through places linked to the fa-mous Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi, such as “Casa Leopardi” and the Hill of the Infinite.

A rental car will make your holiday in Ancona even more special because it will give you the opportunity to experience all the different souls of the city and the surrounding areas.