This building represents the emblem of Ancona, both for its geographical position as well as for its historical and religious meaning.

The hilltop on which it rests was once called the Cumero promontory in antiquity, a name formed by the Greek words Kuma and Oro , which togheter mean " mountain facing the sea ". It was subsequently called Colle di San Ciriaco or Colle Guasco, as colonel Cesare Guasco ordered important fortifications to be built towards the sea.

The Church is built on the remains of an ancient templ dedicated to Venus Euplea, the Goddess of good navigation. This temple was destroyed in 558 by an earthquake that also razed to the gorund the small town of Numana. The cross-shaped outline of the building, featuring a central plan, is dominated by a soaring twelve-sided cupola with its Gothic valults. Covered with sheets of metal, it is considered by experts to be one of the oldest and most perfect cupolas in Italy. The interior of the church, along with the portal - an artistic masterpiece - and Diocesan Museum are all worth a visit.