Ascoli Piceno (; ; ) is a (municipality) and capital of the

province of Ascoli Piceno The province of Ascoli Piceno () is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Ascoli Piceno, and the province is bordered by the Adriatic Sea to the east, the province of Fermo to the north, and it faces the regions ...

, in the Italian region of

Marche Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...

Geography

The town lies at the confluence of the River Tronto 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 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 Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

History

''Ausculum'' of ancient

Picenum Picenum was a region of ancient Italy. The name was assigned by the Romans, who conquered and incorporated it into the Roman Republic. Picenum became ''Regio V'' in the Augustan territorial organisation of Roman Italy. It is now in Marche ...

was founded by the Italic ( Piceni) and was originally a

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

city. Asculum was also the name of other places. Following its defeat by the Romans in 268 BC, Asculum became a ''civitas foederata'', a "federated" city with nominal independence from Rome. It was later connected by the important Via Salaria, the

salt road A salt road (also known as a salt route, salt way, saltway, or salt trading route) refers to any of the Prehistory, prehistoric and Recorded history, historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it. Fro ...

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 whic ...

with the salt production areas on the Adriatic coast. It was the first Italian city to rise up against Rome in 91 BC during the Social War. An account described the city as home to a war-like people that bore generation-old grudge against Rome for encroaching on its northern territories. It was besieged and captured following the Battle of Asculum (89 BC). Discovered artifacts in the city such as sling bullets show that the siege included at least four Roman legions as well as Gallic and Spanish auxiliaries. Following the war, it became a ''

municipium In ancient Rome, the Latin term (: ) referred to a town or city. Etymologically, the was a social contract among ('duty holders'), or citizens of the town. The duties () were a communal obligation assumed by the in exchange for the privileges ...

''. In the triumviral period or under

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, it became a '' colonia''. During the

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

Ascoli was ravaged by the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...

and then by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

of King Faroald (578). After nearly two centuries as part of the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto (593–789), Ascoli was ruled by the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

through their vicars, but ultimately it was the

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

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

republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

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 Galeotto I Malatesta (1299–1385) was an Italian condottiero from the House of Malatesta who was lord of Rimini, Fano, Ascoli Piceno, Cesena and Fossombrone. Biography Born in Rimini, he was the son of Pandolfo I Malatesta and the brother of Mal ...

(14th century), initially recruited as a mercenary (

condottiero Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...

) in the war against Fermo, 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 Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

, into the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.

Main sights

Many of the buildings in the historical part of the city are built using local travertine. Near the Renaissance square Piazza del Popolo, the Piazza Arringo was the administrative and religious centre of the town, surrounded by the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, the

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

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

Churches and convents

* Cathedral of Sant'Emidio, dedicated to Saint Emygdius, houses an altarpiece by Carlo Crivelli. * Tempietto di Sant'Emidio alle Grotte * Tempietto di Sant'Emidio Rosso * San Francesco: Gothic style church begun in 1258. The dome was completed in 1549. A monument to

Pope Julius II Pope Julius 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, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...

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 Bramantesque style of the Roman

High Renaissance In art history, the High Renaissance was a short period of the most exceptional artistic production in the Italian states, particularly Rome, capital of the Papal States, and in Florence, during the Italian Renaissance. Most art historians stat ...

. *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 Pope Sixtus V (; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death, in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where h ...

. * 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: Catholic

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

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 (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...

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

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...

Secular buildings

*The Roman Ponte del Gran Caso *Roman Solestà Bridge *Ponte di Cecco: Roman bridge over the Castellano *The Roman walls of the "Fortezza Pia" in the upper part of the town * "Vesta's" temple: devoted to the cult of Isis * Roman temple rebuilt as an auditorium *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 (), also potestate or podesta in English, 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 c ...

'', 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 (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) 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 the papal throne in an era follo ...

, was added. * Palazzo dell'Arengo: located near the Cathedral *Palazzo Malaspina: palace in Corso Mezzini, previous 14th century structure reconstructed in the 16th century using designs attributed to architect Nicola Filotesio *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 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 (whence the name) *Malatesta Fortress, in a site probably occupied by Roman baths. It was rebuilt by

, lord of Rimini, during the war against Fermo. 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 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. is ...

Economy

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

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

Barilla ''Barilla'' refers to several species of salt-tolerant (halophyte) plants that, until the 19th century, were the primary source of soda ash and hence of sodium carbonate. The word "barilla" was also used directly to refer to the soda ash obtain ...

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

Education

The city is the administrative headquarters and teaching the School of Architecture and Design at the University of Camerino and the International School on Safety and Environmental Protection private university's

Alma Mater Europaea Alma Mater Europaea (AMEU) is an international university network based in Salzburg, Austria, and Alma Mater Europaea University, its major member, is a university in Slovenia, with campuses in several European cities. Among the leading scholar ...

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 River Castellano is a site for swimming and bathing in summer. Founded in 1898, Ascoli Calcio 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'' is a dish which originated from this locality. It is prepared from

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

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.

Government

People

* Cecco d'Ascoli, 12th century poet * Domenico Balestrieri, 15th century painter * Francesco Bellini, entrepreneur * Girolamo Buratti, 16th century painter * Carlo Crivelli, Renaissance painter * Mattia Destro, footballer * Nicholas Russo (1845–1902), Italian priest, philosopher, Boston College president and church founder * Romano Fenati, motorcycle road racer * Dino Ferrari, 20th century painter * Detto Mariano, 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. 224 achieved on ...

, tennis player * Dardust, musician * Alice Pagani, actress, model and author * Serafino Tramezzini, sculptor

Twin towns – sister cities

Ascoli Piceno is twinned with: *

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

, Germany, since 1958 * Massy, France, since 1997 Ascoli Piceno also cooperates with

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...

, Slovakia.

References

External links

Official website

ASCOLIDAVIVERE.it - Events, concerts, folklore, culture, entertainment

Ascoli Piceno Antique Market
{{Authority control Cities and towns in the Marche Roman sites of the Marche