Attractions and Places To See around Maltignano - Top 20

Trekking that starts from the equipped area of Ripa Alta, with parking, water fountain, kiosk-bar and picnic tables. The path in the first part is very steep and without shade from the sun. You then enter the woods: the path follows the course of the river which, in the summer period, is completely dry (August 2025). In several places you can leave the path and enter the riverbed, thus skirting the rocky walls of the twin mountains. The path is marked as risky: in truth, in the summer period it is easily manageable even by children aged ten and over; in the period when the river is present, it may be riskier to venture there.

Ancient 13th-century monastery built in travertine and embedded in the rock. It is located on Colle San Marco, a few kilometers from Ascoli Piceno, and is reachable via a stone staircase that acts as a bridge over a deep moat. Usually open on weekends and holidays during the spring and summer months. The path to get there is also suitable for families.

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.

short but steep path

From the imposing chestnut forest, the main path leads to a clearing located on a huge travertine spur, overlooking the forest. On the rock face, you can see, at the top right, the fascinating structure of the Hermitage of San Marco, a natural cavity closed by a church-shaped building with a bell tower and connected to the path by a stone staircase. The wall, in Romanesque style, is made of ashlar stones and has a single-lancet window and five double-lancet windows. In ancient times, the building housed a convent founded by Cistercian monks at the beginning of the 13th century and consists of two overlapping rooms, connected by a staircase resting on the rock. It is a very “poor” construction, which recalls the Benedictine monastic rule. Inside the Hermitage, it is still possible to find traces of the primitive frescoes painted by the monks on the walls and on the vault of the lower room. On the ceiling of the cave, the splendid “tapestry” of maidenhair fern is noteworthy. The Hermitage of San Marco has been restored and brought back to its maximum splendor. It retains its evocative power that attracts tourists and travelers, lovers of history and nature. (c) https://visitascoli.it/esperienze/colle-san-marco-meta-di-eremiti-nel-corso-dei-secoli/

Piazza del Popolo is the living room of the city of Ascoli. The square with its white travertine is surrounded by palaces, historic buildings, loggias and porticos. Among others the historic Meletti café, Palazzo dei Capitani and the church of San Francesco.

Known as the Salotto d'Italia, Piazza del Popolo is the heart of the historic center of Ascoli Piceno and is itself an open-air monument.