Venue of TMCE 2010 - Ancona, Italy
Inhabited by 102,000, Ancona is capital of the Marche region, central Italy, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The Marche region is also a very attractive tourist destination, with 180 Km of coasts and beautiful beaches; around one hundred cities of art with over 1,000 remarkable monuments and thousands of churches; well preserved ancient villages and historical and religious remnants immersed in a wonderful landscape, and with a typical Italian atmosphere. The economy of the Marche region is based on a large number of small and medium enterprises, spread all over the territory. The most relevant production sectors are: mechanics (with particular reference to mould and die production); shipbuilding; domestic appliances; wood and furniture; clothing and footwear (worldwide famous brands like Tod's, Hogan, Paciotti, Fornarina and many others).
Read more about: History - Nature - Vines and Food - Traveling to Ancona - Links
Conference locations:
History
Ancona was founded from Syracuse about 390 BC, who gave it its name: Ancona is a very slightly modified transliteration of the Greek Αγκων, meaning "elbow"; the harbor to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow.
When it became a Roman colony, 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. The architect Apollodorus of Damascus stand the marble triumphal arch with a single archway, and without bas-reliefs. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Ancona was successively attacked by the Goths, Lombards and Saracens, but recovered its strength and importance. After 1000 Ancona became increasingly independent, eventually turning into an important maritime republic often clashing against the nearby power of Venice. Anconitan ships took part to the Crusades, and his navigators include Cyriac of Ancona.
Differently from other cities of northern Italy, Ancona never became a seignory. In 1532 it lost definitively its freedom and became part of the Papal States. Symbol of the papal authority was the massive Citadel. Together with Rome and Avignon, Ancona was the sole city in the Papal States in which the Jews were allowed to stay after 1569, living into the ghetto built after 1555.
Pope Clement XII prolonged the quay and erected a Lazaretto at the south end of the harbor thanks to the famous architect Luigi Vanvitelli. Nowadays it contains several contemporary exhibitions and is used for music concerts.
Nature
The coast on the North of Ancona is characterized by flat, wide and sandy beaches which give lively and well organized services to all kinds of tourists. Nevertheless, the fine golden sand and the gradual deepening of the sea make these beaches particularly appreciated by families and children (http://www.comune.senigallia.an.it/senigalliaTurismoEn/index.html).
Mt Conero, whose peak is 572 mt., has been the heart of the regional park entitled “Parco Naturale del Conero” (link: (http://www.parcoconero.it/Eindex.html)) since 1991, the year of its foundation. Sea, land and mediterranean vegetation are the main characteristics of 5800 hectares of land coustituting this natural park where numerous species of animals find shelter; moreover, the whole area is covered with a rich flora (1/3 of the whole Region) which can be explored following numerous footpaths which show the most hidden and charming places in the park. The artistic heritage is of great value, with a special reference to Saint Mary's Church in Portonovo and the Antiquarium Museum in Numana etc. Dominated by the "Monte Conero", the coast on the South of Ancona is constituted by dozens of beautiful beaches with a crystal-clear sea water, several wide shingly lidoes, which are well-organized and easily reachable as well as numerous isolated and untouched mortises (http://www.rivieradelconero.info).
The most beautiful beach of Monte Conero is called “Le Due Sorelle” because in front of it there are two twin cliffs, which look like two sisters praying. It is possible to reach the beach only by descending from the Monte Conero through the “Passo del Lupo”, but only if you are a passionate walker or climber as the path is tough or by boat from Numana or Sirolo, two small towns, in the south of Ancona.
Caves of Frasassi (Grotte di Frasassi)
The Gola della Rossa Natural Park lies on an area of 9.150 hectares and represents the widest protected area in the Marches Region (in italian http://www.cadnet.marche.it/park_rossa/). In this park there is one of the most beautiful calcareaus mountain gorge: the Gola della Rossa. Besides, the huge hypogean complex of the Grotte di Frasassi, thanks to its karst phenomena is a naturalistic destination famous all over the world. Discovered in 1971 by the Ancona Speleological Group, the Caves of Frasassi (http://www.frasassi.com/ ), extend for more of 18 km inside the Gola della Rossa Natural Park. They are unique for both their dimensions and their variety of shapes, , it is possible to visit them through three different routes: touristic (about 1 hour), speleological - easy (2 hours) and speleological - difficult (3 hours).
Vines and Food
Cooking in the Marche is deeply rooted in peasant tradition. Here the home cook rather than the professional chef rules and even the smartest restaurants seek to produce food just like nonna, or grandmother, used to make. The use of fresh, top quality materials assembled with the minimum of fuss marks marchigiano food. But as dishes are strictly based on tradition and local produce, each local area has its distinctive cucina tipica. Avoid the temptation just to order dishes whose names are familiar to you from back home - you will frequently be missing the best the house has to offer. If you are touring in summer or early autumn, look out for posters advertising the local sagra - a festival dedicated to a town's particular speciality where you can try the food in question in every guise imaginable. We've put a few of the more curious sagre in Marche Voyager's. (http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/html/calendar.htm).
For an antipasto, mountain salt-cured ham and lonza (salt-cured fillet of pork) reign supreme. If you see it, also try ciauscolo (a soft, spreadable pork salame).
The classic primo is a generous plate of tagliatelle dressed with a sugo, or meat sauce. The region's unique pasta dish is vincisgrassi, a rich baked lasagna without the usual tomatoes. Urbino is also famous for passatelli, strands of pasta made from breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and egg cooked in broth. Apart from the ever-present meat grilled alle brace, on embers, delicious stuffed pigeons (piccione ripieno) and rabbit cooked with fennel (coniglio in porchetta) are a Marche speciality. In some areas, stewed snails (lumache) occasionally creep on to the menu.
By the coast, particularly around Ancona, try brodetto, fish stew which must be made with 13 species of fish, no more, no less. Thin spaghetti dressed with vongole, or baby clams, is always good here as is spaghetti allo scoglio, "on the rocks" dressed with seafood.
In the northern Marche look out for piadina, a flat, unleavened bread often served with cold meats at roadside snack-bars. The sheep's' milk pecorino cheese is excellent here and is best eaten in the spring with young raw broad beans or fave. Look out, too, for formaggio di fossa - (a strong-flavoured cheese aged by being walled up in limestone holes in the ground).
Il Rosso Conero
The generous vineyards of Rosso Conero wine are grown among the hills of Mt. Conero, with their sweet sea breeze. The calcareous conformation of the land, the perfume of the mediterranean vegetation and the temperate climate contribute to grow red grapes of a unique quality in this area. The delicious wine obtained, rich in flavours and perfumes, can be tasted and bought in several wine - cellars where this delicious wine is produced, following a true "oenological route".
The Verdicchio wine (http://www.verdicchiowine.it/eng/default.htm)
Many wide vinewards of Verdicchio white grapes are grown on the fertile hills situated between the Adriatic Sea and the Appenine chain. The Verdicchio wine is produced from the omonimous Verdicchio grape. The favourable environmental and climatic conditions make the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi D.O.C. a wonderful white wine, internationally recognized as one of the best white wines in the world.
Travelling to Ancona
- Airplane
- "Raffaello Sanzio" airport in Falconara (10 Km from Ancona) (http://www.ancona-airport.com/)
- Train
- Milano - Bologna - Lecce and Roma - Falconara railways (http://www.fs-on-line.com/)
- Car
- Motorway A14 Bologna - Taranto: Ancona Nord and Ancona Sud exits (http://www.autostrade.it/)
- Ship
- shipping lines to Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Ciprus, Albania and Crete
- Tirrenia (http://www.tirrenia.it): Ferries to Croatia (Split), Yugouslavia (Bar), Albania (Durace);
- Minoan (http://www.minoan.gr): Ferries to Greece (Corfù, Igoumenitza and Patras);
- Strintzis (http://www.strintzis.gr): Ferries to Greece (Igoumenitza, Patras);
- Superfast (http://www.superfast.com): Ferries to Greece (Igoumenitza, Patras)
Links
| Virtual tour of Ancona |
