Ascoli Piceno: Guided walking tour in the city of 100 towers｜Italy

Enjoy a guided walking tour of the historic old town of Ascoli Piceno, an elegant and surprising city known as the city of 100 towers. An itinerary rich in history, art and medieval views, designed to let you discover the most authentic soul of one of the most fascinating destinations in the Marche region.

The route begins in Piazza Arringo, an ancient medieval square and a symbolic place of city life. Here, among jousting tournaments, public assemblies, and political and religious powers, some of the city's most important buildings stand: the Palazzo dell'Arengo, the Episcopal Palace, and the Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin and to Saint Emydgius, protector against earthquakes.

During the visit, you will enter the underground church of the cathedral, where the relics of the saint are kept, and you will discover one of the absolute masterpieces of Ascoli Piceno: the Polyptych of St. Emydgius, created in 1473 by Carlo Crivelli, a great figure of the early Renaissance. The tour then continues to the Baptistery of San Giovanni, one of the most beautiful and evocative examples of Romanesque architecture in central Italy. Dating back to the 12th century, it impresses with its spaciousness, its dome reminiscent of the Pantheon, and the presence of three baptismal fonts, one of which dates back as far as the 5th century.

From here, you will reach Piazza del Popolo, the famous "living room" of Ascoli Piceno, considered one of the most beautiful squares in Italy and often compared to St. Mark's Square in Venice. Here you can admire the historic Art Nouveau-style Caffè Meletti, the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, the Loggia dei Mercanti, and the Church of San Francesco, with its portal featuring columns that produce curious sound effects.

The tour continues to Piazza della Verdura, still animated today by a characteristic market, and to the Ventidio Basso Theater, dedicated to the famous commander from Ascoli from the Roman era, who was linked to the figure of Julius Caesar. Continuing to Piazza delle Donne, you will be immersed in a medieval atmosphere made up of towers, ancient houses, Romanesque churches, and "rue", the narrow and charming alleys that make Ascoli Piceno unique.

From the medieval area, you will reach Porta Cappuccina and the Roman bridge of Augustus.

The return takes you through ancient medieval streets, with panoramic views of the Tronto River and inner alleyways, to Via dei Soderini, where the distinctive Palazzetto Longobardo is located. The tour concludes with a return to Piazza Arringo, after a walking journey through centuries of history, art, and beauty.

Walking through Ascoli Piceno is truly like leafing through an open-air book on the history of Italian art, between shadow and sun, stone and memory, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.