The 'Province of Ancona' (
Italian: '''Provincia di Ancona''') is a
province in the
Marche region of central
Italy. Its capital is the city of
Ancona. The province has an area of 1940 km² and a 2006 population of 465,906 in 49
comuni (
[1]), see
Comunes of the Province of Ancona.
The province extends from the coast of the
Adriatic Sea west to the
Apennines, its relief becoming steadily higher and more mountainous. Its population is mostly concentrated near the coast, and the city of
Ancona, its capital, accounts for nearly a quarter of it; the other principal towns are
Castelfidardo,
Chiaravalle,
Fabriano,
Falconara Marittima,
Jesi,
Loreto,
Osimo, and
Senigallia.
The coastal strip of the province is given over to sandy beaches popular among Italians rather than foreigners; moving inland, the central portion is an area of rolling farmland, producing red and white wines mainly of the Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Verdicchio grape varieties; the mountain zone is densely forested, and its most famous agricultural product is the
black truffle, the main market for which, however, is in
Acqualagna just across the border in the province of
Pesaro e Urbino.
Famous natives of the province of Ancona include the painter
Gentile da Fabriano, born in Fabriano; composer
Gaspare Spontini, born in Maiolati, now named after him
Maiolati Spontini;
Vito Volterra (Ancona);
Pope Leo XII (Genga, although a minority opinion holds he was born in the
Umbrian town of
Spoleto);
Pope Pius IX (Senigallia); and
Maria Montessori (Chiaravalle).
See also
★
Comunes of the Province of Ancona
External links
★
Official website