Monsampolo del Tronto is about 20 km far from Ascoli Piceno, 12 km from S. Benedetto del Tronto, 2 km from the State road SS. 4 Salaria. It enjoys a nice view over the Tronto valley, the hills of this southern part of the Marche, the Sibillini mountains, the Gran Sasso and the Adriatic Sea. It’s mainly on a hilly land and partly flat.
The municipality was named after St. Paul, whom the first church built in the castle was dedicated.
Nowadays it’s divided into two parts: the historic centre on the hill and the new urban area, including the industrial area, near the Tronto valley, which is called Stella di Monsampolo.
Worthvisiting in the Renaissance village are the 17th century convent of San Francesco and its interesting cloister, the Palazzo Malaspina, the Palazzo Guiderocchi in Castello square with underneath a Knights Templar’s tile, the Archeological Museum, the Civic Museum, the permanent exhibition of nativity scenes, the church Maria SS. Assunta and the abbey Saints Benedetto and Mauro.
The underground tour of Monsampolo is particularly intriguing. It includes an underground route, the Museum of the Crypt where 20 Picene mummies found in this place are exhibited. They’re exceptionally preserved and they’re displayed together with the other objects, including clothes, found during the excavation works.