A symphony of travertine shrouded by the jagged ridges of the Gran Sasso and the massifs of the Sibillini Mountains, pretty little Ascoli Piceno beckons travellers with its sun-splashed Piazza del Popolo (arguably the most beautiful town square in all of Italy!), a labyrinthine web of stone-clad streets, and more crumbling Roman ruins than you can shake a bowl of meaty all'ascolana olives at!

Since first entering the historical annals at the behest of the Picentes tribespeople several centuries before the rise of the Eternal City, Ascoli certainly hasn’t had it easy. Consuls have razed its buildings, revolts have ravaged its innards, Ostrogoths have scarred its streets and Frankish invaders held sway here for some two centuries. This tumultuous history is enough to leave any visitor wondering why they didn’t build it on higher ground, and more crucially, plenty for your Ascoli Piceno tour guide to tell you about the town, as you stroll between its loggias, amphitheatre, duomo chapels and picturesque neighbourhoods.