Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000.

Geography

The town lies at the confluence of the

Tronto The Tronto ( la, Truentus) is a long Italian river that arises at Monti della Laga and ends in the Adriatic Sea at Porto d'Ascoli, San Benedetto del Tronto. It traverses the Lazio, Marche, and Abruzzo regions of Italy. The source of the Tron ...

River and the small river Castellano and is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Two natural parks border the town, one on the northwestern flank ( Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini) and the other on the southern ( Parco Nazionale dei Monti della Laga). Ascoli has good rail connections to the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...

coast and the city of San Benedetto del Tronto, by highway to Porto d'Ascoli and by the Italian National Road 4 Salaria to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

History

Ascoli was founded by an Italic population ( Piceni) several centuries before Rome's founding on the important Via Salaria, the salt road that connected

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...

with the salt production areas on the Adriatic coast. In 268 BC it became a ''civitas foederata'', a "federated" city with nominal independence from Rome. In 91 BC, together with other cities in central Italy, it revolted against Rome, but in 89 BC was reconquered and destroyed by Pompeius Strabo in the

Battle of Asculum The Battle of Asculum took place in 279 BC between the Roman Republic under the command of the consuls Publius Decius Mus and Publius Sulpicius Saverrio, and the forces of King Pyrrhus of Epirus. The battle took place during the Pyrrhic War, a ...

. Its inhabitants acquired Roman citizenship following the war. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Ascoli was ravaged by the

Ostrogoth The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...

s and then by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

of King Faroald (578). After nearly two centuries as part of the Lombard

Duchy of Spoleto The Duchy of Spoleto (, ) was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard '' dux'' Faroald. Its capital was the city of Spoleto. Lombards The Lombards had invaded Italy in 568 AD and conquered much of it, establishi ...

(593–789), Ascoli was ruled by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

through their vicars, but ultimately it was the

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

that gained influence and power over the city. In 1189 a free

republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

an municipality was established but internal strife led dramatically to the demise of civic values and freedom and to unfortunate ventures against neighboring enemies. This unstable situation opened the way to foreign dictatorships, like those of Galeotto I Malatesta (14th century), initially recruited as a mercenary (

condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Euro ...

) in the war against

Fermo Fermo (ancient: Firmum Picenum) is a town and '' comune'' of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo. Fermo is on a hill, the Sabulo, elevation , on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway. History The oldest ...

, and Francesco Sforza. Sforza was ousted in 1482, but Ascoli was again compelled to submit to the Papal suzerainty. In 1860 it was annexed, together with

and

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, into the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.

Government

Main sights

Many of the buildings in the central historical part of the city are built using marble called '' travertino'', a grey-hued stone extracted from the surrounding mountains. Its central Renaissance square, '' Piazza del Popolo'' ("People's Square") is surrounded by a number of buildings utilizing this stone, now often hosting open-air markets. Depending on the position of the Sun and the Moon, its color is constantly changing. A few blocks away, the

Piazza Arringo The ''Piazza Arringo'', also known as the ''piazza dell'Arengo'', is the oldest monumental piazza in the city of Ascoli Piceno. Rectangular in form, numerous important monuments face the piazza including: the ''palazzo Fonzi'', the '' palazzo de ...

, or piazza dell'Arengo, was the administrative and religious center of the town, surrounded by the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

, the

baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptism ...

, the Bishop's residence, and the Palace of the Commune. According to traditional accounts, Ascoli Piceno once housed some two hundred towers in the Middle Ages: today some fifty can still be more evidently seen. Main sights include:

Churches and convents

* Cathedral of Sant'Emidio, dedicated to Saint Emygdius, houses an altarpiece by

Carlo Crivelli Carlo Crivelli ( Venice, c. 1430 – Ascoli Piceno, c. 1495) was an Italian Renaissance painter of conservative Late Gothic decorative sensibility, who spent his early years in the Veneto, where he absorbed influences from the Vivar ...

. * Tempietto di Sant'Emidio alle Grotte * Tempietto di Sant'Emidio Rosso *

San Francesco San Francesco may refer to: * San Francesco d'Assisi ( 1182–1226), Italian Catholic friar, deacon, philosopher, mystic, and preacher * San Francesco al Campo, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, Italy Churches in Italy ...

gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style church begun in 1258. The dome was completed in 1549. A monument to

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or t ...

is in the side portal, while the central portal is one of the finest examples of local travertine decoration. Adjacent to the church is the 16th-century ''Loggia dei Mercanti'', in

Bramante Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance st ...

sque style of the Roman High Renaissance. *Convent of San Francesco: adjacent to the above-named church, of which two noteworthy cloisters remain today. It was once a prestigious center of culture, whose students included Pope Sixtus V. * Sant'Agostino: 14th century church built originally with a single nave, was enlarged with two aisles in the late 15th century. The rectangular façade has a 1547 portal similar to that of Sant'Emidio. The convent houses the town library, the Contemporary Art Gallery and an auditorium. *

San Cristoforo San Cristoforo (in local dialect San Cristòfi) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about southeast of Alessandria. As of 31 December 2004, it had ...

is a Catholic

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

church located in the historic center of the city. * San Domenico: former convent, now school, has a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

cloister with 17th-century frescoes. * Santa Maria Inter Vineas: 13th century church * San Pietro Martire: 13th century church with a 1523 side portal by Nicola Filotesio, known locally as Cola d'Amatrice. The interior contains the precious reliquary of the Holy Thorn, a gift of

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from ...

. * San Tommaso: 1069 Romanesque-style church built with

spolia ''Spolia'' (Latin: 'spoils') is repurposed building stone for new construction or decorative sculpture reused in new monuments. It is the result of an ancient and widespread practice whereby stone that has been quarried, cut and used in a built ...

from the neighboring Roman amphitheater. * San Vittore: Romanesque church documented from 996 with a low bell tower. *''Edicola di Morelli'': Monumental baroque niche attached to the exterior of the church of San Francesco at the Piazza del Popolo. The niche housed a venerated Madonna image, putatively designed by Lazzaro Morelli, a disciple of Gianlorenzo Bernini.

Secular buildings

*The ''Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo'' ("Palace of the People's Captains"). Built in the 13th century connecting three pre-existing edifices, it was the seat of the

podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

, the people's captains and, later, of the Papal governors. In the 15th century the southern side was enlarged, and, in 1520, a Mannerist façade was added in the rear side. In 1535 it underwent a general renovation, and in 1549 a new portal, with a monument of

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

, was added. *''

Palazzo dell'Arengo Palazzo dell'Arengo is a monumental palace located on ''Piazza Arringo'', also called ''Piazza dell'Arengo'' (Square of the People's Assembly), in the town-center of Ascoli Piceno, Marche, central Italy. The facades of the Duomo of Ascoli Piceno, ...

'', located near the Cathedral *''Palazzo Malaspina'': Palace in Corso Mezzini, previous 14th-century structure reconstructed in the 16th century using designs attributed to architect

Cola dell'Amatrice Nicola Filotesio (9 September 1480 iffering sources give 1489��31 August 1547 ources also give 1559 was an Italian painter, architect and sculptor of the Renaissance period, active primarily in or near the town of Ascoli Piceno (modern capital ...

. *Roman Solestà Bridge *''Porta Gemina'' ("Twin Gate"): an ancient Roman gate from the 1st century BC, through which the Via Salaria entered the city. The ruins of the ancient theater are located nearby. It had two passageways, each tall and wide *''Porta Tufilla'', a tower-like gate built in 1552–55. It is annexed to the ''Ponte Tufillo'', a medieval bridge built in 1097 over the River Tronto. *''Ponte di Cecco'' (Cecco Bridge), over the Castellano, recently identified of being of

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

an origin *''Ponte Maggiore'' ("Great Bridge"), of medieval origin *Lombard Palace and the Ercolani Tower (11th-12th centuries) *''Loggia dei Mercanti'': a 16th-century portico annexed to the church of San Francesco. It was commissioned by the city's wool traders guild and finished in 1513. *''Fortezza Pia'', a fortress commanding the city rebuilt in 1560 by

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...

(whence the name). *Malatesta Fortress, in a site probably occupied by Roman baths. It was rebuilt by Galeotto I Malatesta, lord of Rimini, during the war against

. The construction, used as a jail until 1978, was enlarged by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger in 1543. *''Grotte dell'Annunziata'' ("Grottoes of the Annunciation"), a large portico with niches from the 2nd-1st centuries BC, whose original function is unknown (it has been suggested that they could be barracks or slaves dwellings, or a fortified palace) In Castel Trosino, not far from the city, in 1893 a rare 6th-century Lombard

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

was found.

Parks and gardens

* Giardino Botanico, Istituto Tecnico Agrario Statale "Celso Ulpiani", a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

Economy

Recent industrialization has brought to Ascoli several Italian and multinational companies ( YKK, Manuli,

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfize ...

, Barilla) but the bulk of the economy is made up of small and medium-sized enterprises and by those providing professional services to the area. Agriculture is still important (wheat, olives, fruits).

Transport

Ascoli Piceno railway station Ascoli Piceno railway station ( it, Stazione di Ascoli Piceno) serves the town and '' comune'' of Ascoli Piceno, in the region of Marche, central Italy. Opened in 1886, it is the southwestern terminus of the San Benedetto del Tronto–Ascoli P ...

, opened in 1886, is the southwestern terminus of the San Benedetto del Tronto–Ascoli Piceno railway, a branch of the

Adriatic railway The Adriatic railway (Italian: ''Ferrovia Adriatica'') is the railway from Ancona to Lecce that runs along the Adriatic Coast of Italy, following it almost all of the way. It is one of the main lines of the Italian rail system and links the ...

Education

The city is the administrative headquarters and teaching the School of Architecture and Design at the

University of Camerino The University of Camerino ( it, Università degli Studi di Camerino) is a university located in Camerino, Italy. It is the best university of Italy among those with fewer than 10,000 students, according to the Guida Censis Repubblica 2011 and 201 ...

and the International School on Safety and Environmental Protection private university's

Alma Mater Europaea Alma Mater Europaea (Latin for "The European nourishing mother", i.e. university) is an international university based in the Austrian city of Salzburg, with campuses in several European cities. It was founded as an initiative by the European Ac ...

Culture and sport

The main festivity is on the first Sunday in August. The historical parade with more than 1500 people dressed in Renaissance costume is held in celebration of Saint Emidio, protector of the city. The parade is followed by a tournament, called '' Quintana'', in which six knights, each competing for one of the six neighborhoods in the city, ride the course one after the other trying to hit an effigy of an Arab warrior. Strength and ability are necessary for the knight to win the ''palio'' or grand prize. The Castellano river is a site for swimming and bathing in summer. Founded in 1898,

Ascoli Calcio Ascoli Calcio 1898 F.C., commonly referred to as Ascoli, is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Serie B. The team traditionally play in vertical black and white stripes. ...

is the main football team in the city. It is one of the oldest teams in Italy and it played for 16 years in Serie A.

Gastronomy

Olive all'ascolana Olive all'ascolana (Also called olive ascolane ripiene) (meaning "stuffed olives Ascolano") is an Italian appetizer of fried olives stuffed with meat. History Olive all'ascolana was first created in the Ascoli Piceno region of Marche, Italy ar ...

'' is a dish which originated from this locality. It is prepared from

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...

Territorial subdivision

Bivio Giustimana, Campolungo-villa sant'Antonio, Caprignano, Carpineto, Casa circondariale, Casalena, Casamurana, Case di Cioccio, , Castel di Lama stazione, Castel Trosino, Cervara, Colle, Colle san Marco, Colloto, Colonna, Colonnata, Faiano, Funti, Giustimana, Il Palazzo, Lago, Lisciano, Lisciano di Colloto, Montadamo, Morignano, Mozzano, Oleificio Panichi, Palombare, Pedana, Piagge, Pianaccerro, Poggio di Bretta, Polesio, Ponte Pedana, Porchiano, Rosara, San Pietro, Santa Maria a Corte, Talvacchia, Taverna di mezzo, Trivigliano-villa Pagani, Tronzano, Valle Fiorana, Valle Senzana, Valli, Vena piccola, Venagrande, Villa S. Antonio.

Notable people

Cecco d'Ascoli Cecco d'Ascoli (1257 – September 26, 1327) is the popular name of Francesco degli Stabili (sometimes given as Francesco degli Stabili Cichus), an Italian encyclopaedist, physician and poet. Cecco (in Latin, ''Cichus'') is the diminutive of Fran ...

, 12th-century poet * Domenico Balestrieri, 15th-century painter *

Francesco Bellini Francesco Bellini, (; born November 20, 1947) is an Italian-born research scientist, administrator, entrepreneur and Quebecer business man. A pioneer scientist-entrepreneur for Canadian bio-pharmaceutical industry, he was co-founder of Bioche ...

, entrepreneur * Girolamo Buratti, 16th-century painter *

, Renaissance painter *

Mattia Destro Mattia Destro (; born 20 March 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Empoli. He has also featured at international level, holding eight caps for Italy. Club career Youth career Destro began his ...

, footballer *

Romano Fenati Romano Fenati (born 15 January 1996) is an Italian motorcycle racer who has competed at Grand Prix level. He raced for the early part of the season in Moto2, before being sacked by principal Luca Boscoscuro. In September 2022, Fenati signed wi ...

, motorcycle road racer * Dino Ferrari, 20th-century painter *

Detto Mariano Detto Mariano (27 July 1937 – 25 March 2020) was an Italian composer, arranger, lyricist, pianist, record producer and music publisher. Early life and career Born Mariano Detto in Monte Urano, Mariano started his career in 1958 but was launc ...

, composer, arranger, pianist, record producer and music publisher. *

Stefano Travaglia Stefano Travaglia (born 18 December 1991 in Ascoli Piceno) is an Italian tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 60, which he reached on 8 February 2021. He also has a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 231 achieved on ...

, tennis player *

Dardust Dario Faini, also known as Dardust or DRD, is an Italian songwriter, record producer and pianist. He composed songs for several recording artists, including Marco Mengoni, Francesco Renga, Emma, Annalisa, Thegiornalisti, Giusy Ferreri, Leva ...

, musician * Alice Pagani, actress, model, author

International relations

Ascoli Piceno is twinned with: *

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

, Germany, since 1958 * Massy, France, since 1997 *

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica ...

, Slovakia, since 1998

References

External links

Official websiteASCOLIDAVIVERE.it - Events, concerts, folklore, culture, entertainmentAscoli Piceno Antique Market

{{Authority control Cities and towns in the Marche