Ascoli Piceno
Medieval and Beautiful

Ascoli Piceno is the town where the finest handmade Italian shoes on my site come from.

Wedged between two rivers, the town is named after the Piceni tribe, the slightly unusual local rulers of this area before they were defeated by the Romans. The tribe founded the city after a woodpecker lead them to the area.

The town is now a beautiful medieval joy with much of the old town dating back to the thirteenth century and the walls of the city dating back even further to Roman times.

A good place to start a tour of the city is the Piazza del Popolo in the centre of the city. This traffic-free piazza is without doubt one of the finest in all of Italy. Most of this piazza dates back to the fifteenth century when Pietro da Corona “modernised” it. Much of the piazza however dates back to much earlier times – some of it even going back to Roman times.

The gothic church of San Francesco on the square dates back to the twelfth century as does the beautiful Palazzo del Popolo, Make sure you pop inside the Palazzo del Popolo, the arcaded Renaissance courtyard within is truly lovely. Another exquisite piazza is Piazza dell’Arringo – smaller than Piazza del Popolo it is equally as beautiful. The piazza lies in what was the feudal centre of the city of yesteryear. Overlooking this piazza is the duomo di Cola dell’Amatrice built in 1529. The old town is beautifully preserved with a vast number of medieval towers, churches and splendid residences. This is a city that needs to be explored on foot.

The medieval heart of the town extends from the Tronto River all the way to Corso Mazzini but it is easily covered on foot. My favourite street in this area is via Soderini – a beautifully preserved delight.

Try to visit during the medieval festival – La Quintana - held on the first Sunday in August. It is a delight. A huge part of the population dresses in period costume. Countless side show and food stalls fill the streets and an enormously festive atmosphere pervades the whole town.

The jousting tournament between the town’s various regions is the centrepiece of the festa and is entirely true to the medieval traditions of the region – it is taken very seriously by all Ascoli Piceno town residents and the passion felt is intense.

Where to Stay