Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio

Ascoli Piceno


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 prized possession is the three-section Polittico di Sant'Emidio (Polyptych of Saint Emidio; 1473) by the Venetian painter Carlo Crivelli in the Cappella del Sacramento. An extraordinary work of 15th-century pictorial art, the work is still in its original frame and has never once left its current spot.

Stairs lead beneath the altar to the columned crypt of Sant'Emidio, home of the eponymous saint's tomb and a fine set of mosaics.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ascoli Piceno attractions

1. Battistero

0.03 MILES

Next to the Cattedrale on Piazza Arringo, the Romanesque-style octagonal battistero (baptistry) has remained unchanged since it was reconstructed in the…

2. Museo Archeologico

0.05 MILES

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…

3. Pinacoteca

0.07 MILES

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…

4. Piazza del Popolo

0.17 MILES

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…

5. Chiesa di San Francesco

0.2 MILES

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…

7. Chiesa di San Pietro Martire

0.38 MILES

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…

8. Museo dell'Arte Ceramica

0.41 MILES

The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta…