Travertine piazza, olive ascolane, and medieval towers
Ascoli Piceno is one of central Italy's most underrated medieval cities — almost entirely built from local travertine limestone, giving the whole historic centre a warm golden glow. Piazza del Popolo, with its Gothic church and Renaissance loggia, is considered one of Italy's finest squares. The city is the birthplace of olive ascolane — stuffed, fried olives that have become Italy's most beloved street snack — and sits in the Marche foothills at the junction of the Tronto and Castellano rivers.
Ascoli was the capital of the ancient Piceni tribe and a significant Roman municipium — the Roman bridge Ponte di Cecco still carries traffic across the Castellano river. The medieval city grew wealthy from the wool trade and erected 53 tower-houses as expressions of family power; about a dozen survive. Ascoli was a free commune in the medieval period, then passed between various lords before coming under papal control in 1549.