{"id":866,"date":"2021-07-22T04:28:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T04:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/?p=866"},"modified":"2021-07-22T04:28:21","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T04:28:21","slug":"ascoli-piceno-the-travertine-city-of-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/2021\/07\/22\/ascoli-piceno-the-travertine-city-of-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Ascoli Piceno \u2013 the travertine city of arts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a hidden yet monumental treasure surrounded by three mountains and the confluence of two rivers waiting to be discovered at the heart of the breathtakingly stunning nature of the southern Marche. Ascoli Piceno, capital of the eponymous province, is home to a rather compact 47,000 inhabitants. Still, it is one of Italy\u2019s best-known cities of arts. That\u2019s mostly due to the impressive architecture, the medieval charm and the striking travertine aesthetic giving the historic centre its distinctive look with its warm colours. You\u2019d like to know exactly what there is to expect? Well, let\u2019s get things started!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Italics or woodpeckers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We won\u2019t say too much about Ascoli Piceno\u2019s history for a change, simply because there isn\u2019t a whole lot out there. It was likely the capital of the Piceni, an Italic population during the Iron Age. The city\u2019s name came either from them or from a woodpecker ritual performed by the Sabines (\u201cwoodpecker\u201d approximately translates to \u201cpicchio\u201d in Italian). The region was later conquered by the Romans and eventually hotly contested by the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and the Franks. Galeotto I Malatesta and Francesco I Sforza used the unstable Middle Ages to establish brutal dictatorships. Eventually, Ascoli Piceno fell under Papal control in 1482 where it remained until the Kingdom of Italy was founded.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Arringo<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_867\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-867\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-867\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_66978883_trotalo-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\u00a9Bigstock.com\/trotalo\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_66978883_trotalo-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_66978883_trotalo-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_66978883_trotalo-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_66978883_trotalo.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9Bigstock.com\/trotalo<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While there isn\u2019t much to tell on a historical level, Ascoli Piceno actually has a lot to offer as a city of arts. This is in part due to the abundantly used travertine, a bright limestone from sweet water springs that dominates the historic centre. The two main squares Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Arringo are home to the city life. And there\u2019s a lot to see for you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dom Sant\u2019Emidio:<\/strong> Even though hardly anything of the original Romanesque building survived \u2013 we highly recommend checking out the crypt \u2013 Ascoli Piceno\u2019s cathedral remains the city\u2019s most important church. Extensive travertine works join the baroque conversions to form a harmonious overall look. Don\u2019t miss out on the polyptych altarpiece on the right side of the altar.<\/li>\n<li><strong>San Francesco:<\/strong> This enormous Gothic hall church was built between 1258 and 1371. San Francesco is flanked by an enormous market hall and a Renaissance cloister housing a morning market. Explore the large lateral entrance to Piazza del Popolo to discover a monument for Pope Julius II.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Palazzo dell\u2019Arengo:<\/strong> Piazza Arringo is also known as Piazza dell\u2019Arengo and this palace is one of its most important buildings. Formed by the fusion of two older palaces, the travertine fa\u00e7ade with its five porticos certainly knows to impress. Find the art gallery Pinacoteca Civica behind them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Baptistery:<\/strong> The cathedral was dedicated to Saint Emygdius, the city\u2019s patron saint, but the baptistery is all about Saint John. This ideal of Ascoli\u2019s Romanesque architecture is a national monument of Italy. The travertine fa\u00e7ade might look plain at first, but take a closer peek to discover several fascinating details.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Diocesan museum:<\/strong> Part of Piazza Arringo\u2019s palace complex, this huge museum preserves the diocese\u2019s art treasures. Among the focal points are a collection of Florentine 16<sup>th<\/sup> century art and an entire area dedicated to the city\u2019s various art schools and movements from the 13<sup>th<\/sup> century to today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other sights in Ascoli Piceno<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>By the way, there\u2019s much more to Ascoli Piceno beyond the travertine masterpieces known far beyond the Marche. Here are some lovely sights that are certainly worth a second or even a third look:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ponte di Cecco:<\/strong> Experience Ascoli Piceno\u2019s Roman heritage outside the city. The arch bridge Ponte di Cecco was built in 25 BC during Emperor Augustus\u2019 reign and formed part of a supply road between Rome and the coast of the Adriatic Sea. According to lore, the devil built this bridge in just one single night.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ponte Romano di Solest\u00e0:<\/strong> A second arch bridge, dating back to Augustus\u2019 reign as well, spans the river Tronto and connects to the San Giacomo district. Sadly, the old city wall is mostly gone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>San Pietro Martire:<\/strong> The church of the Dominican Order gets lost in the shuffle being located on a small square at an intersection. San Pietro Martire\u2019s fa\u00e7ade exhibits a rather low-key look, but don\u2019t miss out on the gloriously bright apse. The marble statues at the main altar and the frescoes on the side walls are genuine eye-catchers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>San Vittore:<\/strong> Romanesque meets Gothic architecture for a neat little church made of travertine marble blocks. The window rose is clearly Gothic, the belfry has a curiously square shape and likely used to house the baptistery until a lightning strike decimated the old tower. Various anonymous frescoes, some of which have since been transferred to the diocesan museum, line San Vittore\u2019s walls.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Quintana<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_868\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-868\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_327611353_DinoPh-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\u00a9Bigstock.com\/DinoPh\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_327611353_DinoPh-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_327611353_DinoPh-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_327611353_DinoPh-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/files\/2021\/07\/AscoliPiceno_327611353_DinoPh.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9Bigstock.com\/DinoPh<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Finally, we have a neat event for you. The first Sunday in August is Ascoli Piceno\u2019s main festivity. A large parade with about 1,500 participants in Renaissance costumes honours patron saint Emygdius. The equestrian tournament Quintana takes place afterward. It sees six knights, each representing one of the city\u2019s six neighbourhoods, compete on a course. Holding lance and shield, they try to hit the effigy of a Saracen warrior. The big city feast in the evening packs all tables to maximum capacity. You absolutely have to try the local speciality Olive all\u2019Ascolana, giant fried olives stuffed with meat.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ascoli Piceno is small but nice without a doubt. Being a city of arts, it carries a unique travertine flair giving the historic centre a noble, historic charm. Look forward to a hidden treasure full of Roman heritage, enormous Romanesque and Gothic churches, and a truly amazing festivity in the south of the Marche, surrounded by equally glorious nature and countless hiking trails. Ascoli Piceno is definitely worth a trip!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a hidden yet monumental treasure surrounded by three mountains and the confluence of two rivers waiting to be discovered at the heart of the breathtakingly stunning nature of the southern Marche. Ascoli Piceno, capital of the eponymous province, is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/2021\/07\/22\/ascoli-piceno-the-travertine-city-of-arts\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[51,423],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":869,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions\/869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}