See Ancona's Stunning Arch Of Trajan

Italy is a land with boundless riches when it comes to cultural heritage. The wealth of art and historical monuments is endless with sites and objects of major international importance dating from pre-history to the present day. One of the periods for which she is most well-known is the time of the Romans. Their control of vast swathes of the world lasted for hundreds of years and their power and longevity ensured that much remains of their life and times, particularly in Italy, their base of operations and homeland. Pompeii, Herculaneum and Rome itself are the most famous sites but other parts of Italy are also imbued with rich sights.

One example is the Arch of Trajan in Ancona, Le Marche. If you want to see this fine Roman attraction and avoid the crowds of other Roman tourist traps, just find a holiday rental in Le Marche and drop by.

The monument was erected at the beginning of the 2nd century AD by the senate and people of Rome in honour of Emperor Trajan, during his reign. Trajan had rejuvenated the area by building up the port of the town, using his own finances to improve the docks and fortifications. Due to this, the people of Ancona were understandably impressed and grateful. The arch was the work of the Syrian architect Apollodorus of Damascus and is made from Turkish marble which was brought in from the quarries of Marmara Island.

The arch stands on the harbour wall itself, built on a high plinth of a travertine stone base. The limitations of the existing width of the wall meant that it needed to be narrow but tall, allowing it to be clearly visible from both land and sea. It stands at 18.5m and is composed of a single archway, 3m wide, that is flanked by fluted Corinthian columns, raised on pedestals. It was modelled after the Arch of Titus in Rome but was made taller due to its location and the particular requirements of the site.

Inscriptions on the attic are executed on the side facing the city and proclaim the dedication to Trajan, as he who had "given ships safer access to Italy with the construction of this port at his own expense".

Originally, they were gilt in bronze but the gilding, friezes and statues of the arch were all taken by the Saracens in 848. The bronze figures of Trajan on horseback, his wife, Plotina, and sister, Marciana, once stood atop the arch, as a landmark for ships, welcoming them into Rome's greatest Adriatic port.

It was from this site that Trajan departed on his successful and famous battle against the Dacian's, as commemorated in Trajan's Column in Rome. Few places in the world will you find such an important and handsome ancient monument easily and freely accessible to the public as this wonderful attraction in Le Marche.