Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Ascoli Piceno is an Italian town located in the Marche region. It is located 26 km west of the Mediterranean coast. It is located at the confluence of the Tronto and Castellano rivers and is surrounded on three sides by mountains.
The first information about Ascoli Piceno dates back to 286 BC, when the region with the same name was Roman territory. Ascoli was founded by the Italian people Sabines, several centuries before Rome, on the important road Via Salaria ("Road to Salaria"), which connected Lazio (in particular - Rome) with the salt mining sites on the Adriatic coast. In 268 BC, the city became a civitas foederata, formally independent of Rome. In 91 BC along with other cities revolted against Rome, but in 89 BC was conquered and destroyed by Pompey Strabo. Ascoli Piceno accepted Roman citizenship, following the development and subsequent collapse of the Roman Empire. Later, the city was within the borders of the Papal States.
The central old part of Ascoli Piceno is built of gray marble extracted from the surrounding mountains. The central Piazza del Popolo (Piazza della Popolo) is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. According to legend, Ascoli Piceno was home to more than two hundred defensive towers from the Middle Ages, and to this day can be seen fifty.
In Ascoli Piceno interesting to visit are: the Palace of the Captains of the People, Church of St. Francis, the Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, the City Gallery, the Church of Sant'Agostino, the Church of St. Peter Martyr, the Church of Vicente and Anastasia.