Ancona: The Duomo

I only knew the cathedral of Ancona from a beautiful fresco by Pinturicchio in the Libreria Piccolomini in Siena. The fresco shows us how Pope Pius II (1458-1464) arrives in the city to take charge of a crusade against the Turks. In the background, high on the Colle Guasco, the…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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The churches of Pergola

During our last vacation in Italy we really wanted to do something “local”, to see things that other tourists would not see so easily, to talk to the Italians, to be pleasantly surprised. When we visited the charming town of Pergola, we were handed a sheet of paper that announced…

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