Port 54 Ancona, Italy

by Ed · April 25, 2022

Ciao! Bonjourno!

It was another dreary, drizzling morning when we arrived in Ancona’s harbor on Apr 22th, 2022.

This poor little guy will agree. The rain sucks! He was hanging out two balconies over, just watching me. A neighbor above this guy shouted and waved to me, spooking the little guy, and he flew away. (Just guessing it was a male for no reason at all.) It seems to be a juvenile bird of prey – hooked beak and killer talons!

As the ship came around the second breakwater this viewed pleasantly surprised me!

As the ship maneuvered to dock I saw this beautiful church at the top of the hill overlooking the harbor. We learn this is the Cattedrale di San Ciriaco, a Roman Catholic cathedral.

Here’s a wider view of the gorgeous waterfront we see from the ship!

Joy and I have separate tours today. Joy gets a little Ancona city tour then goes over the ridge to the Riviera del Cornero, and I am going to the Frasassi Caves then get a little Ancona city tour.

I was tickled to have been the first on the bus. We climbed steep steps to ride above the driver! Rick. Maureen, and I had front row seats!

On our way out of town we pass the entrance into the Mole Vanvitelliana. This is a pentagonal building that once served as a quarantine center for anyone coming to Ancona when plague was virulent. Newcomers had to stay 40 days in quarantine. There was originally no walking access – you had to come by boat. The bridge was added after the site was no longer used for quarantine cases.

This facility became the origin of the word “quarantine.” The Italian word for 40 days is “quarantina.” Get it?

Within this facility is now a tactile museum honoring and being named for the Roman poet Homer who was blind. This is the State Tactile Museum Omero. The museum is designed for the blind! We’re accustomed to being told “don’t touch that!” But this museum requires you to touch the displays!

As we moved north and left the Ancona city limits the fields opened up, and the landscape was amazingly beautiful!

About an hour later we approached the mountains and a cut through them. This gorge is our destination.

The facility entrance is embedded in the side of the mountain.

Looking across the street at the mountain face opposite us it is easy to see how there can be caves here. The structure of this rock is prone to large cavities.

Heading in, we go through three of these doors. They slide silently open and closed – kinda like the doors in that old TV sitcom “Get Smart”! We are told this is to keep the caverns at a constant humidity and temperature level.

We enter the first room and my initial reaction matched the one when I first saw the Corinth Canal. “Holy sh**!” This room is huge! They told us on the way here this cavern is large enough to put in the entire Milan Cathedral. But knowing that and seeing this are two different and separate things.

When the hikers first found these caverns they discovered a hole in the rock 100 meters above the floor of the room. The floor they found was actually a landslide from a collapsed inner floor that is still another way above any semblance of a bottom. While exploring, to improve their chances of finding their way back out they gave structures nicknames. These are the Giants!

This is known as Niagara Falls!

This is the Fairy Castle.

Then we plunge down into the next room.

Santa Claus makes an appearance! A very looooonnnnggg appearance.

We reach a level where water is collecting and the reflections are crystal clear!

The Polar Bear rises us to greet us!

This cave is simply stunning in the lighting and beauty of the formations.

I dubbed this photo the Christmas Tree Lot!

And I saved this for last. This is my favorite shot. The ribbons of stalactites that are called “veil” formations have become columns to make a partition, and the floor slips away into the distance.

On our way back to Ancona I am still in awe of the beauty of the landscapes here!

Villages formed on the hilltops, or in this case a single multi-family home to work the valley below. Centuries ago sharecropping was strong for a long time, and familes all lived under the same roof, or even workers lived with the owners to all share in the bounty of the land. That is no longer the model, but the big homes still exist and are now largely B&Bs (bed and breakfast) operations, or hotels.

Back in town we take a short walk. We are introduced to the Theater of the Muses. The nine muses are represented in the theater.

A nearby church displays a fabulous looking spire! I love it! We didn’t visit it, but I think this is the Parochial Church of Sacramento.

This is the Church of Santa Maria della Piazza. It has wonderful imagery in the facade artwork, including five peacocks and an elephant! These are all hidden messages of strength and stability. The belltower was reconstructed using different materials after war and earthquakes damaged it.