Ascoli Piceno

History and art

The father of existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre, wrote that “ a walk through the streets of the old part of Ascoli is like leafing through a book on art history and being lucky enough to find the most representative and expressive expression of the various periods of Italian art . ”

Close to the Adriatic Sea, Ascoli Piceno is surrounded on three sides by Monte dell’Ascensione, Colle San Marco, and Montagna dei Fiori.
The Via Salaria crosses the Apennine chain and connects it to Rome, passing through two national parks: the Sibillini Mountains and the Laga Mountains.
Ascoli’s origins are shrouded in the mists of time.
Legend has it that the first settlement was founded by Aesis, king of the Pelasgians.
According to an ancient Italic tradition, however, the city was founded by a group of Sabines who, led by a woodpecker, a bird sacred to Mars, later merged with native peoples, giving rise to the Picenes, for whom Ascoli became the central hub.
The city’s importance was due to the Via Salaria, a strategic and military road used to trade salt, a valuable commodity for food preservation.
In the 3rd century B.C., Ascoli was a Roman colony and an important trading center: after difficult times, caused by the untamed nature of its inhabitants, it was finally incorporated by Roman rule, becoming the capital of Regio V augustano and later (3rd cent.) of Picenum Suburbicarium .
During the imperial era, the city was adorned with magnificent buildings, including the Porta Gemina, a monumental entrance on the Via Salaria, the Augustan Bridge over the Tronto, which is one of the few still in use 2000 years later, the Theater, and the Amphitheater.
With the fall of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Lombards came the rule of the Duchy of Spoleto, which lasted for two centuries.

This was followed by that of the Franks, who descended into Italy in the wake of Charlemagne, and then by the bishop counts.
A free commune after 1183, it was sacked and partially destroyed by the imperial armies of Frederick II.
In the 14th century it was ruled by the seigniory of Galeotto Malatesta of Rimini and, in the 15th, by that of Francesca Sforza.
In 1482 the tyranny was overthrown, but Ascoli was forced to recognize the sovereignty of the Church.
In 1860 the city was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy and later shared its fate.
In September 1943, Ascoli Piceno was one of the first cities in Italy to rebel against German rule: the Resistance struggle earned it a gold medal for military valor.
Part of the provincial territory was claimed for more than a century by its historic rival, neighboring Fermo, which lost its title as provincial capital after the unification of Italy.

One of the distinctive features of Ascoli Piceno is the uninterrupted use of local travertine stone.
For two thousand years it has been used for most buildings, from the humblest to the great centers of power, to churches and to pave its squares.
The old part of the city owes its compact and harmonious appearance to this material.
It could be said that travertine stone has accompanied the passage of history and architectural styles, creating the urban fabric and making it absolutely unique.
As early as the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, Magistri de Preta had become an important part of the city’s economy and culture.

 

The history of Ascoli is told to the eyes of visitors who, walking through its streets and squares, can admire a large number of historic buildings.

One place not to be missed is Piazza del Popolo, the city’s living room, movie set and historic meeting place for the people of Ascoli and its visitors.
The square, which has an arcade on three sides with 59 arches, is one of the most beautiful in Italy and offers visitors a true kaleidoscope of emotions.
Originally a Roman forum, the square bears the symbols of civil power (the 16th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo), religious power (the splendid basilica of San Francesco) and social life (the historic Caffè Meletti).

Another notable architectural complex is Piazza Arringo, with civic buildings such as the old Palazzo Comunale and religious ones such as the huge cathedral of Sant’Emidio, with its facade designed by Cola dell’Amatrice in the 16th century, and the octagonal baptistery of San Giovanni.
The rooms of the sumptuous Pinacoteca Civica and the Archaeological and Diocesan Museum overlook the same square.

On the other side of the city, high above the Castellano stream, is Forte Malatesta, a symbol of Galeotto Malatesta’s tyranny.
Below it is the Roman bridge, known as Cecco’s Bridge. Legend has it that it was built in a single night by the poet Francesco Stabili, Cecco d’Ascoli, with the help of the devil.

Another building reminiscent of Roman times is Porta Gemina, the monumental entrance to the city for those arriving from Rome along the Via Salaria.
With a twin barrel vault, it served its purpose for over a thousand years.

Modern buildings include the neoclassical 19th-century Ventidio Basso Theater, dedicated to Ventidio Basso of Ascoli Piceno’s victory over the Parthians.
This is one of fifteen historic theaters in the province of Ascoli (there are 63 in the Marche region).

Ascoli Piceno has preserved many enchanting corners where time seems to stand still: this is the world of the rue, narrow cobbled streets between old houses.
Those who wish to experience the atmosphere of the era of the city republics need only stroll through these narrow streets or along the romantic Via delle Stelle, a charming path still paved with its original stones along Ascoli’s outer walls, which locals call Rrete li merghie (“behind the ramparts” in their colorful dialect), in memory of the battlements along the city’s medieval walls.