Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno
Comune
	Città di Ascoli Piceno
	Piazza del Popolo
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location of Ascoli Piceno
	Ascoli Piceno Location of Ascoli Piceno in Italy Ascoli Piceno Ascoli Piceno (Marche)
	Coordinates: 42°51′N 13°35′E / 42.850°N 13.583°E
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province	Ascoli Piceno (AP)
Frazioni	see list
Government
• Mayor	Marco Fioravanti (FdI)
Area
• Total	160 km2 (60 sq mi)
Elevation	154 m (505 ft)
Population (30 September 2018)
• Total	48,278
• Density	300/km2 (780/sq mi)
Demonym	Ascolani
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	63100
Dialing code	0736
Patron saint	St. Emygdius
Saint day	5 August
Website	Official website

Ascoli Piceno (Latin: Asculum) is a comune and city in the Marche region, in central Italy. Ascoli Piceno is the capital of the province of the same name.

The central historical part of the city is built in marble called travertino, a grey-hued stone extracted from the surrounding mountains. Its central Renaissance square, Piazza del Popolo ("Square of the People") is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy.

Geography

The town is in the valley of the Tronto river, at the confluence of this river and the small river Castellano and is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Two national parks border the town, one on the northwestern side (Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini) and the other on the south (Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga).

The comune of Ascoli Piceno has an area of 158.02 km² (61.01 sq mi) and its altitude is 154 m (505 ft). It has a small exclave (Piana della Forcella, 0,5 km²).

Ascoli Piceno borders with the following comuniː to the north, Venarotta, Rotella, Castel di Lama and Castorano; to the east, Castignano, Appignano del Tronto and Colli del Tronto; to the south, Folignano, Maltignano and the comuni of the province of Teramo (Abruzzo) of Ancarano, Sant'Egidio alla Vibrata, Civitella del Tronto and Valle Castellana; and to west with Acquasanta Terme, Roccafluvione and Venarotta.^[3]

Some mountains close to comune are Monte Ascensione, Montagna dei Fiori and Monte Vettore.

Frazioni

The following frazioni (hamlets) are part of Ascoli Picenoː Bivio Giustimana, Campolungo, Caprignano, Carpineto, Casalena, Casamurana, Case Schiavi, Castel Trosino, Cavignano, Cervara, Colle, Colle San Marco, Colloto, Colonna, Colonnata, Coperso, Faiano, Fonte di Campo, Funti, Giustimana, Il Palazzo, Lago, Lisciano, Lisciano di Colloto, Montadamo, Monte di Rosara, Morignano, Mozzano, Oleificio Panichi, Palombare, Pedana, Piagge, Pianaccerro, Polesio, Ponte Pedana, Porchiano, Rosara, San Gaetano, San Pietro, Santa Maria a Corte, Talvacchia, Taverna di mezzo, Trivigliano-Villa Pagani, Tozzano, Tronzano, Valle Cupa, Valle Fiorana, Valle Senzana, Valli, Vena piccola, Venagrande, Villa Sant'Antonio.

History

Ascoli was founded by an Italic population (Piceni) several centuries before the building by Rome of the important Via Salaria, the salt road that connected Latium with the salt production areas on the Adriatic coast. In 268 BC it became a civitas foederata, a "federated" city with nominal independence from Rome.

In 91 BC, together with other cities in central Italy, it revolted against Rome, but in 89 BC was reconquered and destroyed by Pompeius Strabo. Its inhabitants got Roman citizenship, following the developments and the eventual fall of the Roman Empire.