Cattedrale di San Ciriaco

This Romanesque cathedral crowns a headland above the Adriatic port of Ancona, blending Byzantine, Lombard and Gothic elements accumulated over its long history. A porch of pink stone is guarded by two carved lions, and the interior follows a Greek-cross plan crowned by an early dome. From the terrace outside, views sweep across the harbour and coast. A distinctive detail is the pair of stone lions flanking the entrance, worn smooth by centuries of hands, on which the slender columns of the porch appear to rest.