# Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno is a city in the southern end of Marche about 25 km from the Adriatic coast. Population: 90,000.

## Understand

Around the 8th-7th centuries BC, the legend says that a tribe of Etruscan people named Sabines (Sabini), following a sacred bird named picchio, found this natural fortification at the confluence of the rivers Tronto and Castellano and built a village named Piceni.
Later, the Sabines were conquered by the Romans. In 91 BC they started a rebellion against Rome, which ended two years later with the partial destruction of the town.

## Get in
### By train

There is a line from San Benedetto del Tronto on the mainline along the Adriatic coast of Italy. The station is few hundred meters outside the centre.

### By bus from Rome

A bus from Rome begins its route from Castro Pretorio street, near Termini (the main train station of Rome) and arrives in front of the train station in Ascoli Piceno.

### By car

From the north, take highway A14, and exit at Ascoli Piceno - San Benedetto del Tronto, then take the free highway Ascoli-Mare for 28 km following the signs.
From Rome, take the SS4 Salaria (Statal Street n°4) to Rieti. After 197 km exit in Rosara and continue east (on the left) for 2 km.

## Get around

Everything inside the fortified town can be reached on foot.

## See

* Piazza del Popolo: the main square of the city is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. $^{[deadlink]}$: PalazzoCapitaniAP.jpg
* La chiesa di San Francesco: the church of Saint Francisco overlooking the main square.
* The medieval town and streets in travertin's local stone materials.
* The Roman age fortress called "Fortezza Pia" in the upper part of the town, the walls and the bridges around the town.
* The inside tunnel on the Porta Solestà's bridge: an escape route in case of siege to the city.
* Vesta's temple: archeologists discovered, after years of studies, that it was devoted to the cult of Iside.
* Il Duomo e Piazza Arringo: Duomo's church and its Arringo square with Town Hall palace and archeological museum.
* The Ventidio Basso Theater: a most beautiful renaissance theater.
* The auditorium built in a Roman pagan temple, with his special acoustics.
* The Roman Theater, which is being escavated, near Porta Romana also known as Porta Gemina for its gates in the west of the fortified town with its huge walls.

## Do

* Walking rounds of the town explained by the tourist office in the ground floor of Palazzo dei Capitani in the main square Piazza del Popolo.

## Buy

* Antique market (Mercatino dell'antiquariato) in the old streets of the center; takes place every third weekends of the month
* Cheaper hand-made shoes in the nearby factories
* The traditional Anisetta Meletti, a sweet anise distillate digestivo that is 130 years old. Maybe the most memorable place to get it is the original Caffè Meletti in the Piazza del Popolo: it's one of the 150 oldest caffès in Italy.

## Eat

* The typical "olive all'ascolana" made from olives stuffed with meat and spices, breaded and fried in olive oil.
* Trattoria Da Middio, Via delle Canterine (near Porta Tufilla's monument), ☏ +39 0736 250867. €15-20.
* Peperoncino, Via di Vesta (near the Vesta's Temple), ☏ +39 0736 256355. €15-25.
* Lorenz, Piazza del Popolo n°5-8 (in the main square), ☏ +39 0736 253444. €20-30.

## Drink

* Typical cocktails and local wines in the main square, and the nearby bars, starts just before the dinner, at 19:00.

## Sleep
### Budget

* Cantina Dell'Arte, Rua della Lupa n°5, ☏ +39 0736 255620, +39 328720483, fax: +39 0736 255191, ristorante@cantinadellarte.it.
* Ostello de' Longobardi, Via dei Soderini (presso Palazzetto Longobardo) 26, ☏ +39 0736 261862, +39 3333807683, longobardoascoli@libero.it.

### Mid-range

* Albergo Piceno, Via Minucia n°10, ☏ +39 0736 253017, fax: +39 0736 251803, info@albergopiceno.it.

### Splurge

* Hotel Gioli, viale De Gasperi n°14, ☏ +39 0736 255550, fax: +39 0736 252145, hotelgioli@mercurio.it.

## Go next

* There is some nice Roman and medieval castles around the town: ask to see Castel Trosino, Montadamo, Civitella del Tronto, and Arquata del Tronto.
* In the summer and autumn every week any little town nearby organize a "Sagra" where it is possible to taste typical foods and beverages of the town and the lands around it.