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Ascoli Piceno

With a continuous history dating from the Sabine tribe in the 9th century BC, Ascoli Piceno is one of Le Marche’s most refined and attractive towns. Its historic centre, mercifully flat after so many steeply stacked hillside towns, is a charming pocket of medieval streets punctuated by grand churches and photogenic piazzas. There’s a sense of grandeur here too, especially on its central squares: Piazza Arringo and Piazza del Popolo. Foodies are in for a treat: Ascoli is the birthplace of Italy’s much-loved olive all'ascolana (meat-stuffed fried olives) and wherever you go in town you’re never far from a tempting takeaway or trendy bar.

Explore Ascoli Piceno

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Piazza del Popolo
This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco…
P
Pinacoteca
Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic…
C
Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio
Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most…
C
Chiesa di San Francesco
This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was…
M
Museo Archeologico
Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as…
C
Chiesa di San Pietro Martire
The 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is dedicated to St Peter of Verona, the 13th-century saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli…
M
Museo dell'Arte Ceramica
The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta…
T
Torre degli Ercolani
This 40m-high tower is closed to the public but is the tallest of the town's medieval towers. Abutting it is the Palazzetto Longobardo, a 12th-century…
B
Battistero
Next to the Cattedrale on Piazza Arringo, the Romanesque-style octagonal battistero (baptistry) has remained unchanged since it was reconstructed in the…

P
Piazza del Popolo
This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco…
P
Pinacoteca
Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic…
C
Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio
Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most…
C
Chiesa di San Francesco
This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was…
M
Museo Archeologico
Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as…
C
Chiesa di San Pietro Martire
The 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is dedicated to St Peter of Verona, the 13th-century saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli…
M
Museo dell'Arte Ceramica
The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta…
T
Torre degli Ercolani
This 40m-high tower is closed to the public but is the tallest of the town's medieval towers. Abutting it is the Palazzetto Longobardo, a 12th-century…
B
Battistero
Next to the Cattedrale on Piazza Arringo, the Romanesque-style octagonal battistero (baptistry) has remained unchanged since it was reconstructed in the…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Ascoli Piceno.

See
Piazza del Popolo
This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco…
See
Pinacoteca
Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic…
See
Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio
Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most…
See
Chiesa di San Francesco
This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was…
See
Museo Archeologico
Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as…
See
Chiesa di San Pietro Martire
The 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is dedicated to St Peter of Verona, the 13th-century saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli…
See
Museo dell'Arte Ceramica
The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta…
See
Torre degli Ercolani
This 40m-high tower is closed to the public but is the tallest of the town's medieval towers. Abutting it is the Palazzetto Longobardo, a 12th-century…
See
Battistero
Next to the Cattedrale on Piazza Arringo, the Romanesque-style octagonal battistero (baptistry) has remained unchanged since it was reconstructed in the…

Guidebooks

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