ASCOLI PICENO CLASSIC: THE PICENI, THE ANCIENT PRE-ROMAN PEOPLE

ONE DAY TOUR

An itinerary dedicated to the discovery of the places, uses and customs of the ancient Piceno people. We will begin our itinerary by visiting the Archaeological Museum of Ascoli Piceno, where most of the artifacts found in this area relating to the Picena civilization are kept. During the guided tour of the museum we will have the opportunity to get to know the life, activities, habits and customs of this civilization up close.

After visiting the Ascoli museum we will move to the small village of Montedinove to visit the Picene Tombs Museum where we will see the faithful reconstruction of two tombs, one female and the other male, and the objects that made up the funeral rite. We will then move to the nearby town of Cossignano called ‘the navel of the Piceno’, as it is halfway between Ancona and Atri, rich in scenic and artistic beauties.

Our journey to discover the Piceno civilization will continue inside the ‘Niccola Pansoni’ Antiquarium, here we will find evidence of the Iron Age, such as the bronze circles with six or more knots, characteristic of the Cuprensi necropolis and ceramic artifacts such as vases canteen and pantry. At the end of the visit, we will reach one of the cellars not far from the town to learn more about the symposium and the development of the wine tradition, surrounded by vineyards and verdant landscapes.

The production of wine in these lands has been known since ancient times, in fact even the Latin writers handed down the goodness of these precious grapes.
Our itinerary will end in Monsampolo, where interesting evidence of the Picenian age related to a settlement area of some importance, and a Roman necropolis dating back to the imperial era, have been brought to light. Here we will address the topic concerning the Romanization of the Piceno people: from the attack on the Senoni Gauls through the Piceno territory, to the various raids and battles of the Social War. In the Archaeological Laboratory Museum we will talk about the birth and development of the funeral rite in the Picene and Roman populations.

The excavations exhibit materials, referable to objects of everyday life, weaving, ceramics, ornamentation and play


ITINERARY DESCRIPTION

MEETING POINT: ASCOLI PICENO PICENWORLD MUSEUM: 9:00 am – meeting with the guide at the Picenworld Museum in Ascoli Piceno and presentation of the day’s itinerary.

VISIT NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM: 9.30 am - we will get to know the uses and customs of the Picena civilization up close. Starting from the Iron Age, we will see how this civilization evolved through the female kits made of amber and bronze, the weapons and breastplates used by men for battles, but also pottery, spools and spindle whorls used by the matriarchs who organized the work of spinning and weaving. We will observe how the encounter with other populations and commercial traffic have influenced and changed the uses and customs of the Picenes, also triggering an economic development that has led to social differentiation.

MONTEDINOVE, THE PICENA NECROPOLIS: 11:00 - We will visit the small village of Montedinove where at the end of the 80’s a Picenian necropolis was found. The archaeological finds found are found both in the Archaeological Museum of Ascoli Piceno and in the museum of Montedinove. In the Picene Tombs Museum two tombs have been faithfully reconstructed, one for men and the other for women: we will see closely the banquet tools linked to the consumption of meat (iron skewers and knife) and wine (oinochoe) and which the ancient ritual of the symposium, a Greek custom acquired by the Picene civilization.

COSSIGNANO AND THE WINE-GROWING TRADITION, FROM THE SYMPOSIUM TO TODAY: 12.30 pm - Not far from Montedinove we find Cossignano, another Piceno village where clay objects related to the consumption of wine have been found. Here, in addition to the visit to the small museum, we will reach a local winery and, walking through the vineyards, we will discover how the food and wine tradition has evolved over time starting from the Piceni up to the production of Rosso Piceno. We will taste the ‘Rosso Piceno’ variety whose production covers the entire hilly area of the province and also extends to those of Macerata and Ancona. Back in the city center we will have lunch and taste the traditional dishes of the area characterized by the simplicity and genuineness of its typical products. THE LUNCH OF TRADITION: 2.00 pm - A gustatory journey through the flavors of the traditional dishes of this land.

MONSAMPOLO DEL TRONTO, THE ROMANIZATION OF THE PICENO PEOPLE: 4.30 pm - In Monsampolo del Tronto, where a Roman necropolis was found, we will face the decay of the Picene civilization and the subsequent Romanization. With a visit to the Archaeological Laboratory Museum, we will discover the ways of burial and the rites associated with them, with particular emphasis on the Iron Age and the funeral rite of the Picene populations.

RETURN TO ASCOLI PICENO: 7.00 pm - return to Ascoli Piceno by bus