What is Senigallia known for?

Thirteen kilometers of fine sand along the Adriatic, awarded Bandiera Blu, named for the velvet softness of the grain. Born here in 1925, one of the great photographers of the twentieth century; the Palazzo del Duca holds his permanent section. Three-Michelin-star restaurant on the southern beach, founded 1990 by Mauro and Catia Uliassi, ranked among the world's top fifteen.

Senigallia is a comune in the province of Ancona, Marche region of Italy, about 40 kilometers from Ancona.

Marche · Ancona

Senigallia

Thirteen kilometers of fine sand on the Adriatic that earned the Spiaggia di Velluto name, hometown of photographer Mario Giacomelli and chef Mauro Uliassi.

40 km / 25 mi

Nearest hub (Ancona)

44,019

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Senigallia sits at the mouth of the Misa river on the Adriatic, twenty-five kilometers north of Ancona. The Spiaggia di Velluto, the Velvet Beach, stretches thirteen kilometers of fine sand along the coast and gives the town its Bandiera Blu and most of its summer economy. The Rocca Roveresca, in the centro storico, layers a 1450 Malatesta keep over Egidio Albornoz's fourteenth-century Rocchetta and was completed by Giovanni della Rovere using the architects Luciano Laurana and Baccio Pontelli. The Rotonda a Mare, an art-deco pier pavilion completed in 1933, sits on iron piles above the water at the center of the beachfront. Mario Giacomelli, one of the great photographers of the twentieth century, was born here in 1925 and worked here all his life; the Palazzo del Duca holds a permanent section of his prints. The Uliassi restaurant on the southern beach holds three Michelin stars and has been ranked among the world's top fifteen by the World's 50 Best Restaurants list.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Senigallia fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

Gallery

8 photos · scroll →

Known for

Spiaggia di Velluto
Thirteen kilometers of fine sand running along the Adriatic, awarded Bandiera Blu, the working spine of Senigallia's summer.
Rocca Roveresca
Layered fortress combining Albornoz's fourteenth-century Rocchetta, the 1450 Malatesta keep and the Della Rovere completion by Laurana and Pontelli.
Rotonda a Mare
Art-deco pier pavilion completed 1933, set on iron piles above the water at the center of the beachfront, restored and used for exhibitions and weddings.
Mario Giacomelli section, Palazzo del Duca
Permanent display of prints by Mario Giacomelli, born in Senigallia in 1925, including the Scanno series and the seminary priests in snow.
Foro Annonario
Neoclassical circular market arcade built 1834 by Pietro Ghinelli, still used as the central food market of the town.
Portici Ercolani
Twenty-six arcades in white Istrian stone running along the right bank of the Misa river in the centro storico, built mid-eighteenth century.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through September is the Senigallia window: the beach bagni open from late May, the Caterraduno radio festival fills late June, the Summer Jamboree rockabilly week runs through early August, and the September sea stays warm through the start of school. July and August touch the high twenties with humid Adriatic evenings; the Velvet Beach and the Rotonda a Mare passeggiata pull the largest crowds of the year. April, May and October are quieter, cooler months for the Rocca Roveresca tours and the Giacomelli rooms at Palazzo del Duca. November through March is the quiet season: the beach establishments close, the Misa runs gray with winter weather, and the centro storico keeps the Foro Annonario food market and the Portici Ercolani aperitivo culture going on local rhythms.