Ancona - Santa Maria della Piazza

Ancona was founded in 387 BC by Greek colonists from Syracuse. Today it is a port city of about 100.000 inhabitants and the capital of the Marche region. The port has always been of great importance because it was the shortest sea connection to Dalmatia.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Ancona was attacked successively by the Goths and Lombards between the 3rd and 5th centuries but recovered its strength and importance. It was one of the cities of the Pentapolis of the Exarchate of Ravenna. In 840, Saracen raiders sacked and burned the city.

After 1000, Ancona became increasingly independent, eventually turning into a maritime republic, often clashing against the nearby power of Venice. In the 12th century, it was strong enough to push back the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. Its ships took part in the Crusades. In the struggle between the Popes and the Holy Roman Emperors Ancona sided with the Guelphs.

The Malatesta, took the city in 1348. They were ousted in 1383. In 1532 Ancona definitively lost its freedom and became part of the Papal States.
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Santa Maria della Piazza was originally called Santa Maria del Canneto, because it is located in a marshy area near the port. Later it was called Santa Maria del Mercato, because the market was held in the square in front of it. It was erected between the 11th and 12th centuries. Before its construction, the site was home to two small Palaeo-Christian churches, dating to the 6th and 7th centuries.

The building has a rectangular plan, with a nave and two aisles. The lower part of the façade has numerous blind arches and, in the middle a probably Byzantine statue of the Virgin Mary. The upper part of the facade collapsed in 1690 due to an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt in bricks and closed with a large rectangular window.

The master of the façade (1210) was "Master Filippo", as testified by an inscription, while the arched portal is attributed to "Master Leonardo". The upper part of the facade collapsed in 1690 due to an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt in bricks and closed with a large rectangular window.