This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco and, on the west, the 13th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo. The 'Captain's Palace' served as the seat of the city's Pontifical Governors for centuries and today houses municipal offices and temporary art exhibitions. The statue of Pope Paul III above the main entrance was erected in recognition of his efforts to bring peace to the town.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.12 MILES
Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic…
0.17 MILES
Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most…
15.74 MILES
There's fine walking to be had in the spectacular mountain country near the village of Montefortino. A stunning, and relatively accessible route, leads…
0.04 MILES
This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was…
24.9 MILES
Centred on a statue of St Benedict, Norcia's most famous son, this small piazza is flanked by the town's most impressive medieval buildings, many of which…
28.46 MILES
Built in the 1930s, the Campo Imperatore is the hotel where Mussolini was briefly imprisoned in 1943, before his dramatic rescue by German paratroopers…
18.7 MILES
Sarnano's medieval centre sprawls up the hillside in a tangle of steep cobbled lanes and attractive red-brick houses. Climb to the top and you'll come to…
0.12 MILES
Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as…
Nearby attractions
0.04 MILES
This monumental church, its southern flank edging onto Piazza del Popolo, is named after St Francis, who is said to have visited Ascoli in 1215. It was…
0.12 MILES
Set around a tree-shaded courtyard, the second-largest art gallery in Le Marche sits inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The palace's aristocratic…
0.12 MILES
Ascoli's archaeological museum holds a small collection of artefacts from the Piceni and other European peoples dating back to the first centuries AD, as…
0.16 MILES
Next to the Cattedrale on Piazza Arringo, the Romanesque-style octagonal battistero (baptistry) has remained unchanged since it was reconstructed in the…
0.17 MILES
Topped by a pair of mismatched towers, Ascoli's cathedral was built in the 16th century and dedicated to St Emidio, the city's patron saint. Its most…
6. Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea Osvaldo Licini
0.18 MILES
Housed in an ex-convent, this gallery has a small collection of Italian contemporary art, including a number of graphic works. There are works by several…
7. Chiesa di San Pietro Martire
0.22 MILES
The 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire is dedicated to St Peter of Verona, the 13th-century saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli…
0.24 MILES
The Museo dell'Arte Ceramica traces the development of ceramic production in Ascoli and displays works from Italy's famous pottery towns, including Deruta…