Overview
The Mole Vanvitelliana of Ancona takes its name from the architect Luigi Vanvitelli who designed it in the eighteenth century, but in the city it is also known as Lazzaretto. It is a pentagonal building inside the port, with a sanitary and defensive function. A sort of island connected to the mainland by three bridges, while the canal that separates it from the rest of the city is called mandracchio.
After being used for centuries as a public sanatorium, fortification, goods warehouse, military hospital and even sugar refinery, in 1997 the restoration work was started, which transformed the building into a privileged venue for exhibitions, events and shows. Here is also the Museo Tattile Homer, which invites an unprecedented way of feeling art. In fact, the hand is free to follow the shapes of classic bodies, appreciating their perfection and anatomy. The route is suitable for everyone, including blind or visually impaired people.
The points of greatest interest are the entrance portal in Istrian stone, framed by two pilasters and characterized by the use of bugnato, and the Temple of San Rocco. It is a small pentagonal church located in the center of the courtyard of Lazzaretto with Doric columns, surmounted by a hexagonal boxed dome. La Mole can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 to 19.15.
Banchina Giovanni da Chio, 28, 60121 Ancona AN, Italia
