Numana
Encyclopedia
Numana is a coastal town and comune
of the province of Ancona
in the Marche
region of Italy
.
. 91.8% of the area falls within the Conero Regional Park.
The old town is often called "Numana alta" as it is on top of a cliff overlooking the sea and can be described almost in continuity with the settlement of Sirolo
, while "Numana bassa" includes the area around the port. The beach of "Numana alta" comprises two bays formed close to the cliff: the Spiaggiola Beach and the friars and the beach of "Numana bassa" extending to the south of the port village of Marcelli. The inner part of the territory is mainly hilly and at the mouth of the Musone
River, a wet area of significant natural and environmental value.
River, the southern boundary of the municipality. There, is the main seaside resorts of the Riviera del Conero, campsites and holiday clubs.
Svarchi, located one mile west of the border with the comune of Sirolo
. The town lies on a hill
Taunus, a tourist resort, is situated between Svarchi and Marcelli, and hosts a holiday village and is a residential area of the comune of Numana.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of the province of Ancona
Province of Ancona
The Province of Ancona is a province in the Marche region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Ancona. The province has an area of 1940 km² and a 2006 population of 465,906 in 49 comuni , see Comunes of the Province of Ancona....
in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
Numana was anciently known with the name of Humana. The legend tells that the mythological founder of the city was this Picenis Queen, a giant figure of a woman with half of the body in the shape of a snake and with wide wings on her back. The Queen threw fire balls on the seaside burning down a wood and on those cinders raised up the city of Humana (meaning human in Latin).Geography
Numana is a central Adriatic coastal town, which lies at the southern foot of Monte ConeroMonte Conero
Monte Conero is a promontory in Italy, situated directly south of the city of Ancona on the Adriatic Sea....
. 91.8% of the area falls within the Conero Regional Park.
The old town is often called "Numana alta" as it is on top of a cliff overlooking the sea and can be described almost in continuity with the settlement of Sirolo
Sirolo
Sirolo is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region of Marche. As of 28 February 2009 it had a population of 3,747 inhabitants and an area of 16.68 km²....
, while "Numana bassa" includes the area around the port. The beach of "Numana alta" comprises two bays formed close to the cliff: the Spiaggiola Beach and the friars and the beach of "Numana bassa" extending to the south of the port village of Marcelli. The inner part of the territory is mainly hilly and at the mouth of the Musone
Musone
The Musone is a river in the Marche region of Italy. The source of the river is east of Matelica and south of Monte San Vicino in the province of Macerata. The river flows northeast before crossing into the province of Ancona. The river then flows southeast and is joined by a tributary south of...
River, a wet area of significant natural and environmental value.
Main sights
- The Sanctuary of the Crucifix ( Santuario del Crocifisso) was built in 1968 to replace an earlier building, attributed to Pellegrino TibaldiPellegrino TibaldiPellegrino Tibaldi , also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.-Biography:...
. Some of the frescoes of the vault, by the painter Andrea Lilli were retained and a crucifix in wood, which most likely was transported by ex-emperor CharlemagneCharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
as a gift for Pope Leo IIIPope Leo IIIPope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to his death in 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
, but due to a storm Emperor was forced to stay in the town and there abandoned it, after which it was found at sea after an earthquake. In contrast to the baroque Church of Saint John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, the modern church has a base with an octagonal spire and the main entrance is located before the Bishops Palace, seat of the town of Numana. - The Bishop's Palace belonged to noble families in Rome and was then purchased by the bishops of AnconaAnconaAncona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
as a summer residence. Today it is the city hall and hosts exhibitions. - The Arco di torre and aqueduct reveal evidence of Roman rule. Within walking distance of each other, the arc is the remnant of a tower (low after the earthquake of 1930) and was used as an outpost to prevent attacks by invaders in the Adriatic SeaAdriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, while the aqueduct, embellished a fountain, supplied water to the town until a few decades ago.
Frazioni
Marcelli, founded by the family of the same name, developed a tourist resort. Located at 4 km from the town of Numana, Marcelli was built on a swamp that was reclaimed by the lords of Numana and extends to the MusoneMusone
The Musone is a river in the Marche region of Italy. The source of the river is east of Matelica and south of Monte San Vicino in the province of Macerata. The river flows northeast before crossing into the province of Ancona. The river then flows southeast and is joined by a tributary south of...
River, the southern boundary of the municipality. There, is the main seaside resorts of the Riviera del Conero, campsites and holiday clubs.
Svarchi, located one mile west of the border with the comune of Sirolo
Sirolo
Sirolo is a comune in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region of Marche. As of 28 February 2009 it had a population of 3,747 inhabitants and an area of 16.68 km²....
. The town lies on a hill
Taunus, a tourist resort, is situated between Svarchi and Marcelli, and hosts a holiday village and is a residential area of the comune of Numana.
Notable people
- Franco Scataglini (1930–1994) -poet
- Vincenzo Radicioni (1906–1988) -Catholic priest