Marche · Ancona
Senigallia
Thirteen kilometers of fine sand on the Adriatic, hometown to a chef and a photographer whose names carry beyond the region.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Why Senigallia is on our list
It holds Bandiera Blu, Spighe Verdi and Bandiera Lilla.
Subscribe and you get Senigallia's letter the day it comes out.
Visiting
- Best time
- May–Sep
- By car
- 41 min from Ancona
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 43,863
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M22°
- J28°
- J30°
- A30°
- S26°
- O21°
- N16°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 29° and coldest in February at 10°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Going to the sea? How to find the free beaches in Italy.
Why come
Senigallia sits at the mouth of the Misa river on the Adriatic, twenty-five kilometers north of Ancona. The centro storico gathers along the river's right bank, where the arcades face the water, while the fortress stands apart as the town's layered military record, built up over two centuries by successive rulers rather than in one campaign. The beach runs south from this old core as a separate register of the town entirely, thirteen kilometers of it, with the pier pavilion marking the center of that beachfront and the restaurant anchoring its southern end.
The photographer worked in the town all his life, and the permanent section of his prints sits inland in the Palazzo del Duca rather than anywhere near the coast he might have photographed. The market arcade, built in the nineteenth century, still does the ordinary work of feeding the town between the historic river frontage and the modern beach economy. Senigallia reads, then, as three towns joined at the river mouth: a fortified old center, a nineteenth-century civic one, and a twentieth-century coastline, each still doing the job it was built for.
How to get there
From Ancona (AOI), about 28 min by car.
Rimini (RMI) is about 1 h 9 min away.
By car from the center of Ancona 41 min or Perugia 1 h 54 min.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Bologna?
Coming by train into Rimini? Senigallia is about 53 min away by road.
Every town within reach of Ancona airport.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Spiaggia di Velluto
The Bandiera Blu beach, working spine of the town's summer, its sand fine enough underfoot to explain the name.
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 the photographer, 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.
From the guides
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
UliassiRistorante
Uliassi has the number 43 spot on the World's 50 Best, three Michelin stars and three Gambero Rosso forks (95/100), among other nods.
Madonnina del PescatoreRistorante
Madonnina del Pescatore has two Michelin stars, three Gambero Rosso forks (94/100) and a place in L'Espresso's Top 300, among other nods.
Vino e CiboTrattoria
Vino e Cibo carries three Gambero Rosso prawns, a Slow Food snail, plus a place in L'Espresso's Top 300.
4 more places the guides name in Senigallia
Mercato Trattoria PopTrattoria
Mercato Trattoria Pop carries two Gambero Rosso prawns, plus a Slow Food snail.
Sepia by NikoRistorante
Sepia by Niko carries two Gambero Rosso forks (80/100), plus a place in L'Espresso's Top 300.
Cuoco di BordoRistorante
A spot in the Michelin Guide, at Cuoco di Bordo.
Nana Piccolo BistròBistrot
Nana Piccolo Bistrò holds three Gambero Rosso tables.
Before you sit down: how to order at a restaurant, how to spot a tourist trap, what aperitivo is and how the Italian bar works.
Living here
Could you live here?
Senigallia meets 1 of our 2 rules for a small town.
- 43,863 people, above our sweet spot of 5,000 to 20,000: big enough that it can split into neighborhoods.
- Fano, a city of 59,903, is 25 min by car. Closer than our 30 to 60 minutes: handy for everything, so check the town still keeps a life of its own.
- A station of its own. Trains are the overlooked way to get around Italy: no parking, straight into the center.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 43,863, down 1.9% since 2015
- Nearest city Fano, 25 min drive
- Train station in the comune
- A national health service hospital in the comune · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €1,700 to €2,500 per m² to buy, €6.20 to €9.00 per m² a month to rent
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- A local hub
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 76% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 2, medium hazard
- Ancona airport (AOI), 28 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Ancona, 41 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
7% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Romania, Ukraine and Albania, against 9% across Italy. 112 of them come from English-speaking countries or western and northern Europe, mostly Germany, France and the Netherlands. There are 276 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 28% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Ancona province ranks 30th of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
There is an emergency room in the comune. The nearest major one is in Ancona, 27 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Ancona, 27 km away. The nearest IB school is International School of Rimini, 65 km as the crow flies. The nearest school listed as international is Marche International School, 56 km away.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 1.14% a year in property tax, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. The town adds 0.8% to your income tax, with nothing due on income under €13,000. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Marche spends about €2,480 a month, €620 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €643 a year for water, on the Marche average. In Ancona, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.30, a meal in a pizzeria €12.69 and a man's haircut €20.60.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone D, on a scale from A, the warmest, to F, the coldest, and heating may run from November 1 to April 15, up to 12 hours a day, unless the mayor changes it. 24% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate medium for floods. Under 1% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
SPIAGGIA DI VELLUTO
Thirteen kilometers of fine sand along the Adriatic, awarded Bandiera Blu, named for the velvet softness of the grain.
MARIO GIACOMELLI
Born here in 1925, one of the great photographers of the twentieth century; the Palazzo del Duca holds his permanent section.
ULIASSI
Three-Michelin-star restaurant on the southern beach, founded 1990 by Mauro and Catia Uliassi, ranked among the world's top fifteen.
Common questions
- What is Senigallia known for?
- Thirteen kilometers of fine sand on the Adriatic, hometown to a chef and a photographer whose names carry beyond the region.
- Where is Senigallia?
- Senigallia is a comune in the province of Ancona, in Marche, at 5 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Senigallia?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ancona (AOI), about 28 min by car.
- Can you get to Senigallia without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Ancona to Senigallia?
- About 41 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Senigallia?
- Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 11 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Senigallia?
- Pesaro, Ravenna and Trieste.
- How many people live in Senigallia?
- 43,863 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Senigallia a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Senigallia is a small town that meets 1 of our 2 rules. The nearest city, Fano, is 25 min away by car. There is a national health service hospital in the comune. Full fibre reaches 76% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 5 m
- Population: 43,863
- Surface area: 117.77 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
The ranked lists
Lists Senigallia appears in
- The 6 best towns that eat well in the province of AnconaAncona provinceeats well6 towns · smallest 2,168 residents
- The 6 best towns you can get around without steps in MarcheMarchestep-free6 towns · smallest 1,331 residents
- The best coastal towns within 90 minutes of AnconaNear Anconacoastalwithin 90 min6 towns · smallest 3,762 residents · closest 28 min away
- The best coastal towns you can reach by train in MarcheMarchecoastalby train6 towns · smallest 13,066 residents
- The 8 best towns you can reach by train that eat well within 90 minutes of AnconaNear Anconaby trainwithin 90 mineats well8 towns · smallest 7,394 residents · closest 28 min away
- The best olive oil towns in MarcheMarcheolive oil8 towns · smallest 2,503 residents
Featured on
Senigallia appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
Similar
Towns like Senigallia
What all six share with Senigallia: over 10,000 people · near sea level · have a railway station in the comune
Pesaro
Province: Pesaro e Urbino
both on the Adriatic coast
Ravenna
Province: Ravenna
both on the Adriatic coast
Trieste
Province: Trieste
both on the Adriatic coast
Grottammare
Province: Ascoli Piceno
both on the Adriatic coast
Porto San Giorgio
Province: Fermo
both on the Adriatic coast
Sanremo
Province: Imperia
both on the coast
The letter
Read a sample letter
Chioggia | Everyone is wrong about this town
It’s not an alternative to Venice
Letters from the towns we visit. Free.
Paid plans, the moving year and the books are on the membership page.