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Annunziata (College of Architecture)Archivio di Stato (State Archives)Auditorium S.AgostinoAuditorium S. Francesco di PaolaAuditorium S. LeonardoBattistero (Baptistry) di S. GiovanniBiblioteca civica (Public Library) “G. Gabrielli”Biblioteca e archivio diocesano(Diocesan Library and Archives)Caffè MelettiCampo Squarcia (The Joust of the Quintana)Cartiera Papale (Papal Paper Mill)Cattedrale (Cathedral) di S. EmidioChiesa (Church) del CarmineChiesa (Church) dell’Immacolata ConcezioneChiesa (Church) di S.AgostinoChiesa (Church) di S.Andrea apostoloChiesa (Church) di S.Angelo MagnoChiesa (Church) di S. CroceChiesa (Church) del Ss. Crocifisso dell’IconaChiesa (Church) di S. Emidio alle GrotteChiesa (Church) di S. FrancescoChiesa (Church) di S. Giacomo apostoloChiesa (Church) di S. GiulianoChiesa (Church) di S. Gregorio MagnoChiesa (Church) di S. IlarioChiesa (Church) di S. Maria del Buon ConsiglioChiesa (Church) di S. Maria della CaritàChiesa (Church) di S. Maria delle DonneChiesa (Church) di S. Maria IntervineasChiesa (Church) dei S.S. Matteo e AntonioChiesa (Church) di S. Pietro in CastelloChiesa (Church) di S. Pietro MartireChiesa (Church) di S. Salvatore di sottoChiesa (Church) di S. Serafino da MontegranaroChiesa (Church) di S.TommasoChiesa (Church) di S.VenanzioChiesa (Church) dei S.S.Vincenzo e AnastasioChiesa (Church) di S.VittoreChiostro (Cloister) di S. DomenicoFonte di S. Emidio (Lavatoio di borgo Solestà)Spring of St. Emidio (Washing wells) Forte (Fortress) MalatestaFortezza (Fortress) PiaGalleria d’Arte Contemporanea(Gallery of Contemporary Art)Museo dell’Arte Ceramica (Ceramics Museum)Museo Archeologico (Archeological Museum)Museo-biblioteca (Museum-Library) “Marcucci”Museo diocesano (Diocesan Museum)Musei della Cartiera Papale(Papal Paper Mill Museums)Palazzetto BonapartePalazzo (Palace) dei CapitaniPalazzo (Palace) del GovernoPalazzo (Palace) dell’ArengoPalazzo (Palace) dell’EpiscopioPalazzo (Palace) della Cassa di RisparmioPalazzo (Palace) MalaspinaPalazzo (Palace) MerliPinacoteca civica (Municipal Art Gallery)Ponte (Bridge) augusteoPonte (Bridge) di CeccoPorta (Gateway) GeminaPorta e mura medioevali(Medieval walls and gateway)Porta (Gateway) SolestàPorta (Gateway) TufillaRrete li Mierghie (Rua delle Stelle)Sostruzioni (Caves) dell’AnnunziataTeatro (Theater) FilarmoniciTeatro romano (Roman Theater)Teatro (Theater) Ventidio BassoTempietto (Little Temple) di S. Emidio RossoTorre (Tower) ErcolaniTorri gemelle (Twin Towers)

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Regione MarcheAssessorato al turismo

Comune diAscoli PicenoAssessorato al turismo

Saint EmidioNative of Trier in Germany, he was the first Bishopof Ascoli. Martyred in 303 AD, St. Emidio is thePatron Saint of the city and his feast day is August5th. He is invoked in all of Italy as protectoragainst earthquakes.Sights: Little Temple of S. Emidio Rosso, Springof S. Emidio, washing wells at Borgo Solestà,Church of S. Emidio alle Grotte, Crypt of theCathedral.

Romanesque ChurchesThe itinerary is composed of the Baptistry ofS. Giovanni and of no less than sixteen Churches:S. Salvatore di sotto, S. Vittore, S. GregorioMagno, S. Angelo Magno, S. Venanzio,S. Giuliano, S. Croce, S. Andrea Apostolo,S. Maria delle Donne, S. Tommaso Apostolo,S. Giacomo Apostolo, S.S. Vincenzo e Anastasio,S. Maria Intervenias, S. Pietro in Castello, S. Ilario,S.S. Matteo e Antonio.

The Franciscan MovementAscoli has been a chosen land of the FranciscanMovement. It is the native city of Nicholas IV, thefirst Pope of this Order (1288-1292), and cradle ofthe Observance with the figures of S. Giacomo dellaMarca and of Beato Marco.Sights: Temple of S. Francesco, CapuchinSanctuary of S. Serafino da Montegranaro.

Marian DevotionAlong with St. Emidio, the Madonna is the PatronSaint of Ascoli and is venerated in many of thecity’s churches.Sights: Church of the Conceptionist Nuns, Marianfrescoes in the Romanesque churches, Madonnadelle Grazie in the Cathedral, Madonna della Paceat the Church of S. Agostino.

Places of the Spirit

Places of Culture

Above:Pellizza da Volpedo:“A Romantic Stroll”.

Osvaldo Licini: painting.Roman bas-relief.

Left: Municipal ArtGallery.

Herbarium of theA. Orsini Museum.

Ventidio Basso Theater

Local HandicraftsAmong the variety of artistic handicraftsproduced in the historical center, aspecial mention is reserved for themany ceramics (ceramica) workshops.Here the quality of centuries-oldtraditional decorations is conservedalongside new proposals, fruit of thecreativity of today’s artisans.

GastronomyThe chief product of Ascoli’sgastronomical tradition is the“tender Ascolan” olive (oliva tenera),renowned even in Roman times.Stuffed with meat and then fried,it constitutes the principal

element of the fritto misto all’ascolana.Other typical dishes are fried or boiledravioli with variously flavored fillings.Among the wines one will enjoy the richRosso Piceno and the Anisetta Meletti is thelocal liqueur. In the countryside, one can savor theunique vineyard creations mistrà and vino cotto.

The Joust of the QuintanaThe most important historical

re-evocation in the entire region ofthe Marches, comprised of acourt of almost 1,500 people inmedieval costume, takes place thefirst Sunday of August -

with a night-time exhibitionin July. In the tournament, thecavaliers of the six historicalquarters of the town - Porta

Maggiore, Piazzarola, PortaRomana, Porta Solestà, PortaTufilla, S. Emidio - contend the

victory of the Palio, amuch-desired banner.

The CarnivalThe extraordinary scenography of thePeople’s Square done up as an open-air ballroom,is the setting of Ascoli’s Carnival. Theprotagonists are the citizens ofAscoli who, spontaneously donningbizarre and unusual costumes ofteninspired by Commedia dell’Arte,joyously act out amusingscenes that use wit andirony, making a parody ofthe vicissitudes of life.

To the NorthMount Ascensione, the calanchi of the Ascensione,Castle of Montadamo, the villages of Polesio andVenagrande.

To the SouthCastel Trosino, the Castellano Valley, Hermitage ofS. Marco, National Park of Gran Sasso-Laga, Skilifts of Mount Piselli, Caciare della transumanza(stone shepherds’ refuges).

To the EastVilla Sgariglia of Campolungo (via Salaria), the hills

of the Piceno with the artistic towns ofOffida, Colli del Tronto, Castorano,Castignano, Ripatransone andSpinetoli, the Palm Riviera (Rivieradelle Palme) at San Benedetto delTronto.

To the WestArcheological Park of the Consolar Salarian Road,the Tree of Piccioni, Saltbed of Mozzano, NationalPark of the Sibillines, Arquata Fortress, MontelucoCastle, the travertine quarries at Acquasanta, theChurch of S. Maria in Lapide at Montegallo.

Itineraries in the

Above:Ski lifts of Mount Piselli.Castel Trosino.Below:The gentle hills of the Piceno.The harbor of San Benedetto.Arquata Fortress.Mount Vettore.Left:The calanchi of the Ascensione.Roman Milestone.

Typical products and folklore

Vicinity

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Tourist Information:

CentroInformazioniTuristiche

Piazza Arringo, 7Tel./Fax0736.2982040736.298334

Ufficio RegionaleIATInformazionee AccoglienzaTuristica

Piazza Arringo, 7Tel. 0736.253045

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Above:Lazzaro Giosaffatti: St. Emidiobaptizing Polisia (Cathedral).Left: St. Emidio, protector againstearthquakes.Below: Church of S.S. Vincenzo eAnastasio.S. Serafino and the Miracle of thecabbages (1907).Madonna della Pace (14thcentury). Historical Theaters and Auditoriums

Ventidio Basso Theater (1846), Filarmonici Theater(1832), S. Francesco di Paola Auditorium (1848), S.Agostino Auditorium, S. Leonardo Auditorium.

Museums,Archives and LibrariesMunicipal Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Civica), “O.Licini” Gallery of Contemporary Art (Galleriad’Arte Contemporanea), Ceramics Museum (Museodell’Arte Ceramica), Archeological Museum, PapalPaper Mill Museums (Musei della Cartiera Papale),Diocesan Museum, “Marcucci” Museum andLibrary, “G. Gabrielli” Municipal Library(Biblioteca Civica), Diocesan Library and Archives,State Archives.G

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The Capital of thePiceno CivilizationThe Piceno people began to differentiatethemselves from the other Italic populationsduring the Iron Age (9th century BC), occupyingthe area of the Middle Adriatic until theconclusion of the Roman expansionist invasionwhich ended, after a lengthy siege in 89 AD, withthe capitulation of Ascoli.Sights: The Picenian walls of the Roman Gateway,objects conserved in the Archeological Museum.

Asculum RomanaFollowing the bellicose events, Asculum becamepart of the V Regio of the Empire. The SalarianRoad was modernized with importantinfrastructures and the city was enriched by agreat number of monumental constructions.Sights: Gemina Gateway, ruins of the RomanTheater, Augustan Bridge, Cecco’s Bridge, thecaves of Annunziata,former temples atS. Gregorio Magnoand S. Venanzio,objects conserved inthe ArcheologicalMuseum, ruins of theConsolar Salarian Road.

The LongobardsFollowing the siege in 587 AD, thecity became part of the Ducato diSpoleto. In 1893 a vast necropoliscomplete with funerary objects wasdiscovered at Castel Trosino,leaving a precious testimony of theearly Middle Ages.

The incredibly harmonious and compactappearance of Ascoli’s historical center is due inlarge part to the use of travertine stone, whichfrom the very origins of the city, has been theprincipal material used in construction: fromsimple dwellings to patrician ones, to churches,

to the pavement of the squares, this stone -used without interruption for two

thousand years, encompassing ever-changing styles and the march of history -

has been an epitome of the urban landscapeof the city, rendering Ascoli unique and

particular.

The Travertine CityThe One Hundred TowersIn medieval times Ascoli possessed two hundredpatrician towers, that is, before King Frederic IIordered the destruction of ninety of them.Nowadays one can retrace around fifty, even ifmany of them have been redimensioned andenglobed into the adjacent dwellings and two havebeen transformed into bell towers.Sights: Itinerary of the Via delle Torri (with theTwin Towers), Via dei Soderini (with ErcolaniTower), Rua delle Stelle (Rrete li mierghie),Ventidio Basso Square.

DefensesBesides the natural protection represented by thedeep beds of the Tronto and Castellano Rivers,since the Roman epoch a complex system ofwalls, fortresses and gateways was devised,providing the defense of the city over the courseof the centuries.Sights: Western Wall with the medieval gateway,the circular tower and Pia Fortress, MalatestaFortress, Tufilla Bridge and Solestà Bridge.

Humanism andthe Travertine that SpeaksAscoli enjoyed an extremely vital cultural phasein second half of the 1400’s, generatingintellectuals such as Enoch d’Ascoli, Cola Pizzutiand Antonio Bonfini, active in European courts. Inthis context, the custom of engraving mottos onthe architraves of the entranceways was adopted.Over one hundred of these maxims, written inLatin or in the vernacular and inspired by culture,religious sentiment or popular wisdom arestill visible.Sights: Entranceway inscriptions,Monument to Cola Pizzuti in S. MariaIntervineas, Bonaparte Palace.

A Voyage into History

A Voyage into History

Crivelli and his SchoolCarlo Crivelli (Venice 1430?/ Ascoli 1495) arrivedat Ascoli in 1469. In his workshop numerous worksof art that enrich the churches of the territory ofAscoli were realized. Among his disciples wasPietro Alamanno, active in Ascoli between 1475and 1498.Where to find them: Polyptych of Crivelli in theCathedral, Madonna of Alamanno in the Church ofS. Maria della Carità, paintings conserved in theMunicipal Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Civica) and theDiocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano).

The Baroque EraThe beauty and the number of buildings and worksof art realized in the 1600’s and the 1700’s makes

the city likewise very interestingduring this historical period.

Sights: altars and paintings inthe Churches of S. Maria dellaCarità, S. Pietro Martire,

S. Agostino and S. AngeloMagno, nobile residences, Shrine

of Morelli, façade of Arengo Palace.

EclecticismThe role of Ascoli as the capital of the Province,acquired after the unification of Italy, producednew works of art reflecting the eclectic taste ofthat epoch.Sights: fountains of Arringo Square (1882),Tabernacle of the Cathedral (1895), Palace of theCassa di Risparmio (1914), frescoes in theGovernment Palace (Palazzo del Governo) byAdolfo De Carolis and DomenicoFerri, Merli Palace (1927).

Art Deco: “Caffè Meletti”Since 1907 illustrous personalities haveenjoyed savoring the anisette liqueurproduced by Silvio Meletti in thisfamous historical cafè.The cafè is the setting of several filmssuch as “I Delfini” (1960) and “AlfredoAlfredo” (1971).A drink to savor: Anisetta Meletti.

A Voyage into History

The Places of Power

Above:Detail of the polyptych of CarloCrivelli (1473) in the Cathedral.Below:Shrine of Lazzaro Morelli (1639).Detail of the frescoes of DomenicoFerri in the Government Palace.Caffè Meletti.

Above:Piazza del Popolo.Loggia dei Mercanti (1513).Baptistry of S. Giovanni.Below:Piazza Arringo.

map of the

CityNORTH

Piazza del Popolo “People’s Square” assumed its current rectangularaspect in the first half of the 1500’s with theaddition of graceful columned porticoes whichserved to keep the disorderly artisans’ workshopshidden from view. They formed an aesthetic linkwith the massive pre-existent medieval buildings,the Captains’ Palace and the Church of S. Francesco.The result is an asset of equilibrated harmonytypical of the Renaissance.Sights: Captains’ Palace (Palazzo dei Capitani) withits subterranean archeological route, the Church ofS. Francesco, the Merchants’ Lodge, Caffè Meletti.

Piazza ArringoThis square is thus named for the public assemblies(Arengo) which were held here since the foundingof the free city-state. Still today it is the civil andreligious center of Ascoli due to thepresence of the Cathedral of S. Emidio,the buildings of the Episcopate, seatof the Diocese and the ArengoPalace, seat of Town Hall.Sights: Cathedral andBaptistry of S. Giovanni,Municipal Art Gallery andHalls of the Mercatori inArengo Palace, DiocesanMuseum and Library,Archeological Museum atPanichi Palace.

Exit for the historical center

Above:The Social War between Ascoli andRome (Domenico Ferri, 1895).Augustan Bridge (end of the 1stcentury BC)Left:Double mask mosaic.Below:Gold Longobard clasp.

Above:Twin Towers.Malatesta Fortress and Cecco’sBridge.Below:Inscription in via Annibal Caro.Panorama of the city from BorgoSolestà.