CUPRA MARITTIMA (AP)
The heart of the city is on the hill (the ancient area of Marano), while the seaside has started developing from the nineteenth century. Archeological discoveries attest to the human presence on the territory in prehistoric times, but it was the Piceni civilization to mark the beginning of an intense human settlement, as shown by the necropolis and the grave goods discovered in Contrada Castelletta. More recently, villas in art-nouveau style and a beach resort, built to welcome the first tourists rise up at the beginning of the twentieth century. The tourist economy leads out, the employment grows for fishermen, merchants and small local industries. Nowadays, Cupra has a relevant richness in landscape, environmental, touristic and cultural sphere, highlighted by important awards. Cupra offers efficient beach and sports (tennis, karate..) equipment and facilities, as well as an illluminated 6 km cycle path, between railway and seaside, to ride the city day and night from north to south, from Grottammare to Porto d’Ascoli. Absolutely must-see tourist and cultural attractions, are the famous shell museum (over 700.000 examples from all the world) and the archeological museum. Furthermore, Cupra Marittima is a “Blue Flag” thanks to its clear waters and is called “the capital of green”, because of its verdant hills and the palms on the seaside.
RIPATRANSONE (AP)
Ripatransone rose up on the crest between the valleys of the Tesino river and Menocchia creek. The maximum altitude is on the hill Colle San Nicolo’ (508 meters above sea level) The hill was inhabited since Neolithic and Piceni and Umbri civilization settled down here, throughout the centuries. The Roman occupation marked a decrease in relevance and population until the arrival of the Barbarian invasions. The castles of Monteantico, Capodimonte, Roflano and Agello were erected in the ninth century. In 1096, the village was unified and took the current name on 1198. In 1205 was named “free” municipality and 1571 was the year of independence from Fermo, obtaining the status of “City”. Ripatransone was also called Propugnaculum Piceni, because of its resistance against the rival conquest attempts. Francesco Sforza succeeded and conquered the city, occupying it for one year, until the battle of Santa Prisca (1445). Ripatransone was annexed to the Italian State in 1860, had a great population growth until 1950s (it reached almost 9.000 inhabitants) and then a fast depopulation until 1990s. Thanks to its geographical position, Ripatransone offers spectacular view; therefore, it is also known as the “Belvedere del Piceno”.
ROTELLA (AP)
The history of Rotella is hard to retrace, because of the disappearance of the majority of the archived documents. The remains of a dwelling and numerous objects attest to a pre-Roman settlement on the hills nearby the present town-centre. Rotella was probably founded by the Romans, but there is no prove of that. The name of the city possibly evokes its round shape, recalling the rotula, the rounded shield used by the Romans, while the theory of a homage to consul Rutilus (who presumably participated in rebuilding the town after a terrible heartquake) finds no confirmation. The term “Corte di Rotella” appears first on a document dated 967, among the properties of Presidato di Farfa. After the fourteenth century, the Church took possession of Rotella and its monastery of St. Lawrence.
MONTEFIORE DELL’ASO (AP)
Montefiore (412 meters above sea level) is located on a sheer peak between the valleys of Aso and Menocchia rivers. Several finds demonstrate the presence of human settlement from prehistorical times and during the Roman empire. During the Middle Ages, the town expanded on five hills: Menalo, Baraffio, Castello, Vittorino, Aspromonte. The city coat of arms depicts the five hills with five flowers above, surrounded by the two rivers. The castle of Montefiore has been point of contention between Ascoli and Fermo for a long time until the solemn peace commitment was reached in 1421. Montefiore keeps many features of the original walls, such as ancient doors and six towers.
CASTIGNANO (AP)
Surrounded by steep badlands, Castignano rises up on the highest of five “twin” hills. Castignano has a pyramidal shape, with a massive wall and a Romanesque tower. The main square on the top of the small town offers a magnificent view: from the Conero to the Sibillini Mountains, from the Gran Sasso and the Majella Mountain, to the Adriatic Sea. The old town centre, with its Romanesque churches, Renaissance and medieval houses, its labyrinth of narrow alleys looks as suggestive as an “open-air” museum. The town keeps the colors and the flavours of the past, stories of nuns and friars, soldiers and tyrants, invaders and courageous fights, but above all, the stories of the Templar Knights that operated from here for various years, because Castignano was a nodal point of transit for the pilgrims who were going from Rome to the ports of embarkation that would bring them to the Holy Land. The Templar Knights themselves built the church of Santa Maria del Borgo in the XII century, adorned with a “tau” (symbol of the Order of Knights Templar) on the arch of a portal.