CLASSIC ASCOLI PICENO: THE ROMANS IN THE PICENO

ONE DAY TOUR

The fall of Ascoli Piceno marked definitive defeat of the Italid in the Social War and the end of the conflict, the Piceni were ascribed to the Fabia tribe, obtaining Roman citizenship and completing the Romanization process of the Picene population, which began in the 2nd century B.C.

In this itinerary we will discover the testimonies left by the Romans in our territory starting from the archaeological remains found under Palazzo dei Capitani in Ascoli Piceno, where four building phases of the Roman age are still visible today. A few minutes from the historic center we find the Roman theater which based on the characteristics of the building technique, is dated to the last decades of the 1st century B.C. and maybe it went afterwards.

Not far away is Porta Gemina, a true architectural jewel of great archaeological value and preserved Roman artifacts in the city. After the visit to the Roman evidences in the city of Ascoli, we will leave for Comunanza, a small town located at the beginning of the riverbed of the Aso River , surrounded by the Sibillini chain , which was used by the Romans as an outpost and point of defense against the nemids, for the particular topographical conformation. As evidence of of this passage we will visit the archaeological area where the remains of a Roman villa (Domus) have been brought to light. At the end of the visit we will dedicate ourselves to the knowledge of a product that was already mentioned by Latin poets in Roman times: the pink apple of the Sibillini, a variety that has always been cultivated in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Marche and in particular in the area of the Sibillini Mountains.

To end the experience in Comunanza we will have lunch in in one of the characteristic cellars obtained in the warehouses of the ancient village houses, which welcome visitors to immerse them in an atmosphere of the past where we will taste typical dishes of the countryside and dishes made with the pink apple of the Sibillini. Finally, we will leave for Acquasanta and more precisely we will reach the small town of Santa Maria, where near the banks of the Tronto river there is a small natural open-air SPA called “Lu Vurghe”.
This area, recently redeveloped after the 2016 earthquake, has several basins with sulphurous water which in some point reaches as much as 30°. Here, like the Ancient Roman Legionans, we will immerse ourselves in the healty waters and enjoy the landscapes that surrounds us.



ITINERARY DESCRIPTION

MEETING POINT AT PALAZZO DEI CAPITANI FOR VISITING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ROUTE: 9:00 a.m. - we will visit the archaeological area on the ground floor of Palazzo dei Capitani. The Roman period structures refer to a public area adjacent to the forum where a macellum and some houses once stood. The stratigrafy shows the traces of the devastation following the defeat of Asculum during the joint wars against Rome.

THE THEATER AND THE ROMAN DOOR: 10:00 - A few minutes from the historic center, in the west of the city we find the Roman theater of Ascoli Piceno. Its construction dates back to the 1st century BC. with subsequent restorations and extensions in the first half of the 1st and 2nd centuries after Christ. Not far away we find the Gemina gate, built on the pre-existing Picena gate destroyed by Gneo Pompeo Strabone and found during the excavations conducted in the twentieth century.

THE ROMAN BATHS OF COMUNANZA: 12.00 - Of Roman origins, Comunanza rises along the river Aso. Archaeological excavations, near Colle Terme, show that the site was already inhabited in Roman times with the presence of spas. The current settlement originated in the fifth and sixth centuries, when some families from the city of Ascoli Piceno moved to this area to escape the raids and barbarian incursions. The village experienced alternating vicissitudes and was disputed between Amandola and Ascoli Piceno, remaining in the latter’s sphere of influence.

THE LUNCH OF TRADITION: 1.30 pm - A gustatory journey through the flavors of the traditional dishes of this mountain area made using the pink apple of the Sibillini. We discover an ancient variety of apple grown in the Marche between 450 and 900 meters above sea level. We have certain news of the existence of the Sibillini pink apples already in Roman times, in fact they are mentioned as “one of the ancient fruits of the Marche hinterland” to which the Latin poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus also dedicated a quote in his Satires.

ACQUASANTA TERME, “LU VURGHE”: 5.00 pm - In Acquasanta Terme, along the banks of the Tronto river, there is a small natural spa, created by the sulfur springs and called “Lu Vurghe”. A small corner of paradise, recently restored, born in a place whose history is always linked to the healing properties of its waters. Already in Roman times, Roman consuls and legionaries used this gift of nature to regain health and strength. RETURN TO ASCOLI PICENO: 8.00 pm