The bay, the Romanesque church and the moscioli
On the northern side of Monte Conero, a few kilometres from Ancona, Portonovo is a small, enchanting bay of white pebbles and clear water, framed by the green slopes of the mountain and the white cliffs, one of the most beautiful and loved places of the Marche coast. The bay preserves several historical treasures among the vegetation. The most precious is the small Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo, built in the eleventh century by Benedictine monks in white Conero stone, a jewel of harmony and simplicity, with a plan that combines a basilica and a central dome; some scholars believe that Dante mentions it in the Paradiso, when he speaks of the "house of Our Lady on the Adriatic shore".
On the beach stand two other monuments: the Fortino Napoleonico, a fort built in 1808 by Napoleon's troops to defend the coast from the English, today a hotel, and the Torre De Bosis, a watchtower of the eighteenth century. Behind the beach there are two small coastal lakes, the Lago Grande and the Lago Profondo. Portonovo is famous above all for its moscioli, the wild mussels that grow naturally on the submerged rocks of the Conero coast, collected by local fishermen from spring to autumn, a Slow Food presidium, tasty and sweet, served in the restaurants and kiosks of the bay, steamed, with tomato sauce or with spaghetti. The bay can be reached by car or bus from Ancona, but in summer access is regulated, with parking and shuttles.
Tip: taste the moscioli in one of the restaurants on the beach; visit the church of Santa Maria in the early morning.
Where it is
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