Sassoferrato (part 3): Civica Raccolta d’Arte and Raccolta Perottiana

One of the most important museums in Sassoferrato rather oddly does not use the word “museum” in its name. The Civica Raccolta d’Arte is, apparently, first and foremost a raccolta or collection. The predominantly religious works in the collection date from the fifteenth to late eighteenth centuries and come from…
Sassoferrato (part 2): the churches of Santa Chiara and San Pietro

The male Franciscans settled in Sassoferrato in the thirteenth century, and so did their female counterparts the Poor Clares. In 1253, just a stone’s throw away from the church of San Francesco, they founded the nunnery that they still inhabit today, over 750 years later. For obvious reasons the nunnery…
Sassoferrato (part 1): the church of San Francesco
Fossombrone (part 2): churches and museums
Fossombrone (part 1): Forum Sempronii

Just outside the built-up area of Fossombrone lie the remains of the town to which Fossombrone owes its name: the Roman colony of Forum Sempronii.[1] The colony was founded along the Via Flaminia, the important road that connected Rome with the Adriatic coast. At Fanum Fortunae (Fano) it swung north,…
The monastery of Champmol
The tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria
The tomb of Philip the Bold
Ancona: The Duomo
Ancona: Santa Maria della Piazza
Ancona: Arch of Trajan

It is without a doubt the most striking archaeological monument in Ancona: the slender marble triumphal arch that the Senate and people of Rome erected in the second century for the emperor Trajan (Trajanus; 98-117). The arch itself indicates why Trajan deserved the monument: because he had extended the port…
Ancona: Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche

My travel guide described the archaeological museum of Ancona as “superb but under-visited”.[1] “Under-visited” turned out to be quite an understatement: for a long time we were the only visitors. Now it should be noted that the museum has a turbulent history and does not always give an impression of…
Ancona: San Francesco alle Scale
Ancona: San Domenico

In 1732 Pope Clemens XII (1730-1740) turned the port of Ancona into a free-trade zone and subsequently had it extended. Moreover, he had a road built that connected Ancona to Rome. All these activities were highly beneficial for the Anconitan economy, which is why the inhabitants of the city honoured…
Jesi: Museo Federico II

Frederik II van Hohenstaufen (1194-1250) behoort tot de grootste vorsten die de Europese middeleeuwen hebben voorgebracht. Koning van Sicilië en keizer van het Heilige Roomse Rijk was hij, en daarnaast kruisvaarder en beschermheer van kunsten en wetenschappen, om nog maar een paar van zijn bezigheden te noemen. Zijn geboorteplaats Jesi…
Jesi: Duomo en Museo Diocescano
Jesi: San Marco

We parkeerden onze auto in de gratis parkeergarage met de naam Parcheggio Mercantini en beklommen de heuvel waarop de prachtige kerk van San Marco staat. De kerk en het naburige klooster worden sinds het einde van de negentiende eeuw gebruikt door Zusters Karmelietessen. De zusters leven in afzondering – ze…