- Ascoli Piceno
Infobox CityIT
img_coa = Ascoli Piceno-Stemma.png
official_name = Comune di Ascoli Piceno
region =Marche
province = Ascoli Piceno (AP)
elevation_m = 154
area_total_km2 = 160
population_as_of =
population_total = 51.630 (01.2008)
population_density_km2 = 313
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|42|51|N|13|35|E
frazioni = see list
telephone = 0736
postalcode = 63100
gentilic = Ascolani
saint = Sant'Emidio
day =August 5
mayor = Piero Celani
website = [http://www.comune.ascoli-piceno.it www.comune.ascoli-piceno.it]Ascoli Piceno is a town in the
Marche region,Italy , capital of the province of the same name. Its population is 51,630 inhabitants. (ISTAT, 01.2008)Geography
The town lies at the confluence of the
Tronto River and theCastellano Creek and is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Two natural parks abut the town, one on the north-western flank (Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini ) and the other on the south (Parco Nazionale dei Monti della Laga ). Ascoli is well connected by railway to theAdriatic coast and the city ofSan Benedetto del Tronto , by highway toPorto d'Ascoli and by the Italian National Road 4 Salaria toRome .History
Ascoli was founded by an Italic population (
Piceni ) several centuries before Rome's founding on the importantVia Salaria (Salaria Road) which connectedLatium with the salt production area on the Adriatic coast. In 268 BC it became acivitas foederata , with nominal Independence from Rome. In 91 BC, together with other cities in central Italy, it revolted against Rome, but in 89 BC was reconquered and destroyed byPompeius Strabo . Its inhabitants acquired Roman citizenship, following the developments and the eventual fall of theRoman Empire .During the
Middle Ages it was ravaged by theOstrogoth s and then by theLombards of KingFaroald (578). After nearly two centuries as part of the LombarDuchy of Spoleto (593-789), Ascoli was ruled by theFranks through their vicars, but ultimately it was theRoman Catholic Church Bishop s to gain influence and power inside the city.In 1189 a free
republic an municipality was established but internal strife led dramatically to the demise of civic values and freedom and to unfortunate ventures against neighboring enemies. This uncertain situation opened the path to foreign dictatorships, like those ofGaleotto Malatesta (14th century), initially called as a mercenary (condottiero ) in the war againstFermo , andFrancesco Sforza .The latter was ousted in 1482, but Ascoli was compelled to submit again to the Papal suzerainty. In 1860 it was annexed together with
Marche andUmbria in the Kingdom ofItaly .Main sights
The central historical part of the city is built in marble called "travertino", a grey-hued stone extracted from the surrounding mountains. Its central Renaissance square, "Piazza del Popolo" ("Square of the People") is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. According to traditional accounts, Ascoli Piceno was home to more than two hundred towers in the Middle Ages: today some fifty can still be seen.
Main sights include:
Churches and convents
*The
Cathedral of Sant'Emidio , dedicated toSaint Emygdius , houses an altarpiece byCarlo Crivelli , who lived and worked in and around the city for many years.
*Sant'Emidio alla Grotte
*Sant'Emidio Red Temple
*The Gothic-style church of St. Francis (begun in 1258). The dome was completed in 1549. In the side portal is the monument toPope Julius II , while the central portal is one of the finest examples of local travertine decoration. Annexed to the church is the 16th century "Loggia dei Mercanti," inBramante sque style.
*The Romanesque "San Vittore" (known from 996) with an essential façade and a low bell tower.
*St. Augustinus (14th century). Built with a single nave, was enlarged with two aisles in the late 15th century. The rectangular façade has a 1547 portal similar to that of St. Emidio. The convent houses the Town's Library, the Contemporary Art Gallery and an auditorium.
*The convent of "San Domenico," now a school, has a Renaissance cloister with 17th century frescoes.
*St. Peter Martyr (13th century), with a 1523 side portal by Cola d'Amatrice. The interior contains the precious reliquiary of theHoly Thorn , a gift ofPhilip IV of France .
*"San Tommaso" (1069), housing numerous art works and built with parts from the neighboring Roman amphitheater.
*The Franciscan convent, of which two noteworthy cloisters remain today. It was once a prestigious center of culture, whose students included PopeSixtus V .*The "Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo" ("Palace of the People's Captains"). Built in the 13th century connecting three pre-existing edifices, it was the seat of the
podestà , the people's captains and, later, the Papal governors. In the 15th century the southern side was enlarged, and, in 1520, a Mannerist façade was added in the rear side. In 1535 it went under a general renovation, and in 1549 a new portal, with a monument ofPope Paul III , was added.Other buildings
*Roman Bridge.
*Lombard Palace and the Ercolani Tower (11th-12th centuries).
*"Fortezza Pia", a fortress commanding the city rebuilt in 1560 byPope Pius IV (whence the name).
*Malatesta Fortress, in a site probably occupied by Roman baths. It was rebuilt byGaleotto Malatesta , lord of Rimini, during the war againstFermo . The construction, used as a jail until 1978, was enlarged byAntonio da Sangallo the Younger in 1543.In Castel Trosino, not far from the city, in 1893 a rare example of 6th century Lombard
necropolis was found.Parks and gardens
*
Giardino Botanico, Istituto Tecnico Agrario Statale "Celso Ulpiani" , abotanical garden Economy
Recent industrialization brought to Ascoli several Italian and multinational companies (YKK,
Manuli ,Pfizer , Barilla) but the bulk of the economy is made up of small and medium sized enterprises and by those providing professional services to the area. Agriculture is still important (wheat, olives, fruits).Culture and sport
The main festivity is on the first Sunday in August. The historical parade with more than 1500 people dressed in Renaissance costume is held in celebration of Saint Emidio, protector of the city. The parade is followed by a tournament, called Quintana, in which six knights, each one competing for one of the six neighborhoods in the city, ride the course one after the other trying to hit an effigy of an Arab warrior. Strength and ability are necessary for the knight to win the palio or the grand prize.
The town is also home to Ascoli Calcio, currently in the
Serie B ."
Frazioni "Bivio Giustimana, Campolungo-villa sant'Antonio, Caprignano, Carpineto, Casa circondariale, Casalena, Casamurana, Case di Cioccio, Casette, Castel di Lama stazione, Castel Trosino, Cervara, Colle, Colle san Marco, Colloto, Colonna, Colonnata, Faiano, Funti, Giustimana, Il Palazzo, Lago, Lisciano, Lisciano di Colloto, Montadamo, Morignano, Mozzano, Oleificio Panichi, Palombare, Pedana, Piagge, Pianaccerro, Poggio di Bretta, Polesio, Ponte Pedana, Porchiano, Rosara, San Pietro, Santa Maria a Corte, Talvacchia, Taverna di mezzo, Trivigliano-villa Pagani, Tronzano, Valle Fiorana, Valle Senzana, Valli, Vena piccola, Venagrande, Villa S. Antonio.
Twin cities
*flagicon|France
Massy ,France , since 1997,by mayor Roberto Allevi for Ascoli Piceno and mayorVincent Delahaye for Massy.
*Flagicon|GermanyTrier ,Germany , since 1958,by mayor Serafino Orlini for Ascoli Piceno and mayor Heinrich Raskin for Trier.
*Flagicon|USAChattanooga USA since 2006 by mayor Piero Celani for Ascoli Piceno and mayor Ron Littlefield for Chattanooga.ee also
*
Asculum External links
* [http://www.comune.ascoli-piceno.it/ Official comune site]
* [http://www.ascolidavivere.it/ ASCOLIDAVIVERE.it - Events, concerts, folklore, culture, entertainment]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.