Crowned by the baroque Chiesa di San Domenico, this sloping cafe-lined square has been Ancona's favourite meeting spot since medieval times. At its head, set in a grand staircase, sits a gigantic statue of Pope Clement XII, the 18th-century pontiff who was honoured by the city for giving it free port status – hence the square's alternative name, Piazza del Papa.

　　The nearby fountain is a more recent addition, dating from the 19th century.