The best city hikes and walks around Monte dell'Ascensione

Il Tempietto di Sant’Emidio alle Grotte was built in a secluded, slightly hilly location, but still very close to the urban area of Ascoli Piceno. It was by popular demand that it was decided to entrust the project to the sculptor and architect Giuseppe Giosafatti, who convinced everyone with a very original design, definable in Baroque style, but which goes beyond canonical descriptions. Some define the work, completed and consecrated in 1720, as "little Petra", for the beautiful shape of the facade, but also and above all for its integration into the tuff wall, just as the rock-hewn facades that make up the archaeological site of Petra in Jordan are. The interior, substantially unchanged over the centuries, consists of ancient caves dug into the tuff rock. So, everything starts from the caves. What is known is that, as early as the year 250, there were interconnected caves. The story, partly with legendary aspects, has it that the remains of the current Patron Saint of Ascoli Piceno, Sant’Emidio, were kept in those caves for seven centuries (currently the saint's remains are in the crypt of the city's cathedral). It goes without saying that the place, as it was in its simplicity, with only the addition of a small altar in the main cave, became a place of pilgrimage and an oratory for worship and prayer. Then there was the great earthquake of L'Aquila in 1703, which produced seismic swarms for entire months that also troubled the citizens of Ascoli, albeit without victims. For this reason, due to the conviction that the saint had protected the city, the idea of creating an ex-voto in the burial place, in that tuff oratory, developed. The rest is history.

The Ponte di Cecco is a structure of Roman origin (1st century BC) that crosses the Castellano river. It owes its name to a legend according to which the poet Cecco d'Ascoli built it in a single night with the help of the devil, although historically it was restored in 1349 by Mastro Cecco Aprutino. The small house visible in the middle of the bridge was originally the "toll house": it served as a guard post to collect tolls and housed the hinges of the gate that closed the access to the city.

The Cathedral of Sant'Emidio, located in the monumental Piazza Arringo, is the main place of worship in Ascoli Piceno. The building is a fascinating historical palimpsest that blends remains of a Roman civil basilica with Romanesque structures and a Renaissance facade designed by Nicola Filotesio. The real treasure, however, is hidden in its underground: the Crypt of Sant'Emidio. Built in the 11th century, it is one of the largest in Italy and houses the remains of the Patron Saint within a precious 4th-century Roman sarcophagus. The environment, a suggestive 'forest' of about 60 travertine and marble columns, is enriched by a cycle of modern mosaics that narrate the Saint's protection of the city during World War II. Recent restorations have also brought to light rare medieval frescoes and portions of an ancient 14th-century cemetery.

Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli is often called the 'Living Room of Italy'. It is a Renaissance masterpiece characterized by its travertine paving, which gives it a unique elegance. Its rectangular shape is framed by a loggia of 59 arches and crenellated palazzi. The historic heart of the city, it hosts the Palazzo dei Capitani, the Church of San Francesco, and the historic Caffè Meletti. It is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Italy.

In Piazza del Popolo stands the historic Caffè Meletti; the interiors retain the original Art Nouveau style, with period furnishings and decorations. The establishment is known for Anisetta Meletti, an anise liqueur produced for over a century.

Beautiful bridge, dating back to the Augustan era.

Beautiful Art Nouveau interior. In mid-September, we're the only guests inside, enjoying the ambiance, friendly service, and special ice cream flavors. The toilet, integrated into the vanity, offers glimpses of old foundations.

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Carità is commonly called by the citizens of Ascoli with the name of Church of the Scopa, from the name of the Confraternity of the Disciplinati, faithful who during the processions used to beat each other with broom-shaped whips which were also used to collect the grain sold in the square from the ground. The original building dated back to the 14th century, then in 1532 it underwent important works and modifications by Cola dell’Amatrice and the Ascoli Count Conti and these renovations continued for about a century when a more exuberant style had established itself, the imprint of which is evident inside with paintings and stuccoes of considerable interest. One of the best works of Cola is considered to be the facade of this sanctuary with its four elegant fluted Corinthian pilasters, concluded by capitals worked with olive leaves that rest on solid pedestals, with a continuous trabeation. The design of the attic is attributed to the Ascoli native Conte Conti, while that of the three doors on the façade is the work of Antonio Giosafatti. The unique onion-shaped bell tower dates back to the end of the 17th century. The interior of the church has a single nave, adorned with elegant 17th-century decorations with flying figures and cherubs in Baroque style. On the high altar we find a precious Nativity, the work of Girolamo Buratti. In the side chapels there were works by Simone De Magistris, the Annunciation by Guido Reni which is now located in the Pinacoteca Comunale, a canvas by the Venetian Pier Gaya depicting Sant’Emidio consecrated bishop by Pope San Marcello. Attached to the church we find the Oratory of the Misericordia whose members had the task of spiritually assisting the condemned of the place until their death. (c) https://eventi.turismo.marche.it/Cosa-vedere/Attrazioni/Chiesa-di-S-Maria-della-Carita-o-Chiesa-della-Scopa/496