Ascoli Piceno Car Hire made for you

Ascoli Piceno is located in the region of Marche, Tronto Valley about 30 km from the Adriatic Sea. It stands on a hill and is surrounded by the beauty of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park and the Monti Sibillini National Park.

Ascoli Piceno is known as the “City of Travertine” due to its historic centre made almost entirely of travertine, and also as the “city of a hundred towers” because of the numerous medieval towers. It hides a vast artistic heritage and is home to gourmet specialities known all over the world, first and foremost, the famous Ascolane olives (olives stuffed with meat and fried).

Visiting Ascoli Piceno and its surrounding area means treating yourself to a holiday in a special destination, off the usual tourist route, but one that will evoke unique emotions.

What to see in Ascoli Piceno: the historic centre

A car is the best way to discover all the beautiful sights of Ascoli Piceno and its surrounding area. It will allow you to move in total freedom and to travel safely, even with children in tow.

To rent a car in Ascoli Piceno you can head to the Maggiore office located in the city centre, where you will find a friendly and well-informed staff waiting for you, as well as an extensive fleet of modern and comfortable vehicles.

Maggiore is very attentive to the safety and comfort of its customers, which is why it offers only fully equipped and perfectly sanitised cars, as well as extra services that you can request at the time of rental.

Once you have chosen your ideal sedan or city car, you can head for the centre and stop to admire the Renaissance beauty of Piazza del Popolo, framed by an open gallery with 59 arches and towered over by magnificent buildings such as the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo and the Gothic Church of San Francesco.

Another piazza to visit in the centre is the Arringo piazza or “dell’Arengo” where you will find the beautiful Duomo of Sant’Emidio, which contains a crypt with the remains of the patron saint as well as a chapel with the Shroud of Arquata del Tronto, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, an excellent example of a Romanesque building and the Palazzo Episcopale, home to the Diocesan Museum.

Before setting off on your tour of Ascoli Piceno, stop to sip Anisetta liqueur at Caffè Meletti, one of Italy’s 150 historic cafes, and then take the Via del Trivio and visit the Church of San Francesco, one of the most important examples of Franciscan architecture in Le Marche.

From here you can enter the oldest part of the city and admire most of the towers (about 50) that have survived to the present day. Worth seeing are the Torre degli Ercolani, about 35 metres tall, the Torri Gemelle, located in front of the Church of Sant’Agostino, and the Torre di S. Veneziano. If you want to take a walk through history, enter the Borgo Solestà district and walk along the characteristic street “rrete li mierghie” (behind the battlements).

Some other things to see in Ascoli Piceno are the Temple of Sant’Emidio alle Grotte (St Emidio in the Caves) so called because the interior is made up of natural caves, and the Temple of Sant’Emidio Rosso, so called because it is said that the saint was beheaded here.

Before leaving the city centre and discovering the beauty of the surrounding villages, be sure to have lunch of “fritto misto”, namely, Ascolane olives, lamb chops, artichokes and fried custard.

Visiting the villages around Ascoli Piceno

There are many villages to see near Ascoli Piceno and your visit can start from Force and Rotella, both located about 20 km from the city, the first known for the Convent of the Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta, the second known for the Civic Clock Tower and the Collegiate Church of SS. Maria and Lorenzo.

Take the SP93 provincial road and in about 40 minutes you will reach Castel Trosino, a medieval village surrounded by walls where “the house of King Manfri” is located who, legend has it, was the illegitimate son of Frederick II. You can then visit Ripatransone or “belvedere Piceno” where we challenge you to walk through the narrowest alleyway in Italy, just 43 cm wide.

Also, worth seeing around Ascoli Piceno are the beautiful villages of Offida, known for its ancient tradition of lace-making, Acquasanta Terme, where you can relax at the sulphurous springs, and Cupra Marittima, a village on the Riviera delle Palme where you can enjoy a day relaxing on its sandy beaches.

After wandering around towns and villages, it’s nice to get to know another side of Ascoli Piceno and the surrounding areas by immersing yourself in its natural treasures.
Here, too, you will be spoilt for choice since the area is rich in areas of great interest and charm.

Our advice is to stop at Lake Pilato in the municipality of Montemonaco, Lake Talvacchia, which takes its name from the village of the same name, the Sentina Nature Reserve, a small, protected area of great environmental value, and of course Gran Sasso and Monti Laga National Park, a real treasure trove of biodiversity.

Finally, if you want to experience something unique, then take a trip to the Gole di Garrafo, where you can also go trekking in the countryside, or visit the San Marco Hermitage, a very special building perched on San Marco Hill.

In short, a rental car will turn your holiday in and around Ascoli Piceno into an exciting journey through art, history and nature.