Ascoli Piceno

Description

Ascoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. The town lies at the confluence of the Tronto River and the small river Castellano and is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Two natural parks border the town, one on the northwestern flank (Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini) and the other on the southern (Parco Nazionale dei Monti della Laga). Ascoli has good rail connections to the Adriatic coast and the city of San Benedetto del Tronto, by highway to Porto d`Ascoli and by the Italian National Road 4 Salaria to Rome. 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.