Our journey through the province of Ascoli takes us through its ancient villages and past its historical residences, in a region renowned for wine and DOP olives – in particular, delicious Ascolana olives, stuffed with either meat or fish (the latter typically found on the coast) and then fried. This tour focuses on southern Marche, beginning at the Adriatic coast and then venturing inland along the Via Salaria towards the Sibillini Mountains on the border with Umbria and Lazio, areas that are still recovering from the devastating earthquake in 2016. The point of departure is Grottammare Alta, which is included in the circuit of the ‘borghi più belli d’Italia’ or ‘most beautiful villages in Italy’ and is affectionately called “the old fortified town”. It features the remains of an 11th-century fortress and the 18th-century Palazzo Fenili, which once hosted the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. The village is also notable for being the birthplace of Pope Sixtus V and, more recently, renowned artist and sculptor Pericle Fazzini. From here, our route takes us away from the sea. After passing Petrella, you will arrive at Ripatransone, often described as ‘the Belvedere of Piceno’, which claims to have the narrowest alley in Italy (between 38 and 43 centimetres wide), five museums, several monumental churches and one of Marche’s 73 historic theatres. The next stop is Montefiore dell’Aso, another member of the most beautiful villages in Italy, this time known as the ‘hill of painters’; this is where the admirable Polo Museale di San Francesco is located within a Franciscan convent. It houses a valuable Polyptych by Carlo Crivelli, a Venetian artist who later adopted Ascoli as his home. If you plan to spend a little longer in this area, we recommend you consider staying at the Agriturismo La Campana, which offers accommodation, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a one-hectare park. Heading further south through the hills, our route takes us to Offida, the main wine-producing centre of the Ascoli province and home to the Marche Regional Wine Cellars, situated in a 14th-century monastery. Offida is famous for its lace-making traditions, and indeed its Museo del Merletto museum showcases a tradition that dates back to the 15th century and later became the main activity of the village, thanks to the work carried out by the Benedictine nuns.
This ancient heritage is still preserved today by the Il Merletto di Offida association, composed of a group of skilled lace-makers, who continue to employ old techniques and stitches such as Renaissance point, Venetian point and antique point.
For wine enthusiasts, the most renowned winery in the area is Ciù Ciù, which despite its idiosyncratic name has a notable international reputation and heads up a consortium of five wineries in five different regions. The showroom in Piazza del Popolo doubles up as a wine bar and restaurant, lending itself perfectly to a lunch or dinner. The highlight of the year in Offida is the Carnival period, which has been celebrated for five hundred years and officially starts on 17 January, St. Anthony’s Day, ending on Shrove Tuesday with the lighting of the Vlurd, giant torches made from long bundles of reeds filled with straw. Just outside the centre is the Church of Santa Maria della Rocca, which dates back to 1330.
The road to Castel di Lama will take you through a landscape that is typical of the Marche region, characterised by its comb-like terrain, as you enter the Tronto Valley which encompasses Ascoli Piceno. Upon completing the descent, where the road crosses Via Salaria (now State Road 4) are two historical residences situated very close to one another. The first, Villa Mastrangelo, was built in 1840 in the neo-classical style, complete with a magnificent staircase and a park divided into a garden, an orchard with a well and an olive grove. The Villa is open to the public and offers accommodation with two options: an apartment on the ground floor and a room on the first floor with a grand hall. It also serves as a venue for private events and photo shoots. The second property, on the nearby Salaria, is Borgo Storico Seghetti Panichi, which has been owned by the same family for eight generations. It now provides suites and apartments for guests and the entire estate can be rented for events and ceremonies. A unique feature of the Borgo is its Bio-energetic Historical Park, the first of its kind in Europe. Designed by botanist Ludwig Winter in 1870, it contains a small lake that helps maintain the garden’s ecological balance.
Continuing towards Ascoli Piceno, follow the Salaria road along the left bank of the Tronto River, thereby staying within the Marche region – a brief detour across the bridge would take you into Abruzzo – as far as the historic centre of Ascoli Piceno.
Spending the night here is highly recommended, because the city’s charm and cultural importance warrant a full day of sightseeing and sampling the local attractions, not to mention the culinary delights. For those wishing to enjoy the city by day and then return to the countryside among the hills of Ascoli for an overnight stay, a historic agriturismo like Villa Cicchi is a great option. The 17th-century Villa offers six rooms with large frescoed ceilings, original furnishings and wrought iron beds, all set within 40-hectare farm that cultivates olives and grapes, as well as raising animals. The property includes a vegetable garden and woodlands. While in Ascoli, be sure to explore Piazza del Popolo, the beating heart of the city, which holds the nickname of ‘The Drawing Room of Italy’ or ‘Il Salotto d’Italia’, where you can discover the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo (now the town hall) and the long-established Caffè Meletti with its excellent pastries and signature Anisetta Meletti liqueur, produced since 1870. Key sights include the Church of San Francesco and the Ventidio Basso Theatre with its 842 seats. The religious square (distinct from Piazza del Popolo, which performs a political-administrative function) is Piazza Arringo, also known as Piazza dell’Arengo, and here you can look into the Duomo of Sant’Emidio, the Baptistery of San Giovanni with its 12th-century font, the Palazzo dell’Arengo which is now the Civic Picture Gallery, the Episcopal Palace and the Diocesan Museum housing valuable works by Crivelli. One of the things you absolutely must experience in Ascoli Piceno is sampling the renowned olive all’ascolana, which can be purchased almost anywhere, as olives prepared in this way are a popular street food. However, knowing exactly where to go to taste them can be tricky, as everyone has their own opinion as to the best place to try them!
Indubitably, the Migliori bottega makes a compelling case for a claim to excellence, located as it is right in Piazza Arringo, but the olives at Siamo Fritti are equally mouth-watering. The jury is out… Further outside the city, we suggest you make time to visit the beautiful Tempietto di Sant’Emidio alle Grotte, a small temple built on the sacred spot where, according to legend, Saint Emygdius allegedly carried his own head after being decapitated, thus earning him the title of ‘cephalophore’ saint in religious iconography. Ascoli offers a wide range of local cuisine options for dinner, usually featuring the classic Ascolani fried food dishes (including both sweet and savoury versions) and baked timballo ascolano. Recommended restaurants include Ristorante del Corso, Locanda del Medioevo and Osteria Nonna Nina. Other culinary specialities include high-quality dairy products, with ‘La Vergara’ being an outstanding producer of burrata, mozzarella and provola cheeses.
Before moving off to the upper Tronto Valley, why not take a small detour to Casette to view the Ponte Tasso, Castel Trosino and the nearby waterfalls of the castle, on the Abruzzo border. Then return to Ascoli and follow the Salaria road from Villa Cicchi to our final destination. This is the historic home Castel di Luco in Acquasanta Terme, where your visit begins with an obligatory climb up the rock-carved staircase to the entrance. First mentioned in a document from 1052, the Castle provides six different suites for accommodation and is also a strategic spot for dinner during the week or lunch on weekends, by prior reservation. Very close by are the sulphur springs known as ‘Lu Vurghe’, a natural open-air spa on the Via Salaria. Fully invigorated, you can now return to your starting point, taking the quickest route back by travelling along the motorway from Ascoli to Porto d’Ascoli, and then on to San Benedetto del Tronto.
