Mole Vanvitelliana (Lazzaretto)
Mole Vanvitelliana
An 18th-century pentagonal quarantine station on an artificial island, now a cultural centre housing exhibitions, concerts and a tactile museum.
The Mole Vanvitelliana was designed by architect Luigi Vanvitelli in 1733. It is a huge pentagonal building on an artificial island in the harbour. It was originally a quarantine station for sailors and cargo arriving at the port, and later served as barracks and a tobacco warehouse. Today it is the city’s cultural centre, often hosting art exhibitions, summer music festivals and open-air cinema. It houses the Omero Tactile Museum, where visitors can touch replicas of sculptures. In the courtyard stands a small neoclassical shrine to San Rocco. The Mole is a short walk from the old harbour. The courtyard is free to enter most of the time, but exhibitions charge admission.
Opening hours
Courtyard open daytime; check website for exhibitions and museum hours
Nearby sights
- Santa Maria della Piazza
- Piazza del Plebiscito
- National Archaeological Museum of the Marche
- Arch of Trajan (Ancona)
- Ancona Cathedral (San Ciriaco)
- Passetto & War Memorial
- Mezzavalle Beach
- Portonovo