Ancona

Sister cities

• Granby
• Patras
• İzmir
• Split
• Ribnica
• Castlebar
• Galați
• Svolvær

History

Before the Greek colonization, the territory was occupied by separated communities of the Picentes tribes. Ancona took a more urban shape by Greek settlers from Syracuse in about 387 BC, who gave it its name: Ankṓn, then Ancona. This toponym stems from the Ancient Greek word (ankṓn), meaning "elbow" or "bend"; the harbour to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow. Greek merchants established a Tyrian purple dye factory here. The acropolis, with the temple of Aphrodite, was located on the top of the Guasco hill, on the site where the Ancona Cathedral stands today. Another temple, dedicated to Diomedes, stood on the seashore, at the end of the city's promontory. Diomedes was considered the mythical oikistes of the colony. Ankón had its own coinage with the punning device of the bent arm holding a myrtle sprig and the Gemini constellation, reference to the Dioscuri, protectors of sailors. On the reverse was the head of Aphrodite, goddess of good navigation. Ancona is still called the "Doric city" and the inhabitants are referred to as "Dorici", because it was a colony of Syracuse, which in turn was a colony founded by the Dorians of Corinth. In Roman times Ankón continued the use of the Greek language and kept its own coinage for about a century. Julius Caesar took possession of it immediately after crossing the Rubicon. Its harbour was of considerable importance in imperial times, as the nearest to Dalmatia, and was enlarged by Trajan, who constructed the north quay with his architect Apollodorus of Damascus. At the beginning of it stands the marble triumphal arch, the Arch of Trajan with a single archway, and without bas-reliefs, erected in his honour in 115 by the Senate and Roman people., In 840,…

Geography

The climate of Ancona is humid subtropical (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification) and the city lies on the border between mediterranean and more continental regions. Precipitations are regular throughout the year. Winters are cool (January mean temp. ), with frequent rain and fog. Temperatures can reach or even lower values outside the city centre during the most intense cold waves. Snow is not unusual with air masses coming from Northern Europe or from the Balkans and Russia, and can be heavy at times (also due to the "Adriatic Sea effect"), especially in the hills surrounding the city centre. Summers are usually warm and humid (July mean temp. ). Highs sometimes can reach values around , especially if the wind is blowing from the south or from the west (föhn effect off the Apennine Mountains). Thunderstorms are quite common, particularly in August and September, and can be intense with occasional flash floods, damaging winds and even large hail. Spring and autumn are both seasons with changeable weather, but generally mild. Extremes in temperature have been (in 1967) and (in 1968) / (in 1983).

Most-observed species

• Japanese Cheesewood

  Pittosporum tobira (Murray) Aiton fil. · Magnoliopsida
  172
• Laurustinus

  Viburnum tinus L. · Magnoliopsida
  160
• Yellow-legged Gull

  Larus michahellis J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  160
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  152
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  123
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  117
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  117
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  116

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2026-07-24
  1 km NNW of Petritoli, Italy
• M 4.2 — 2026-05-23
  4 km WSW of Bolognola, Italy
• M 4.9 — 2025-10-06
  30 km NE of Marotta, Italy
• M 4 — 2023-11-14
  2 km ESE of Monteleone di Fermo, Italy
• M 4.2 — 2023-09-13
  20 km NE of Senigallia, Italy
• M 4 — 2023-09-08
  24 km NE of Marotta, Italy