Piazza del Popolo is the most beautiful Italian square, and for millennia it has represented the social and administrative heart of Ascoli Piceno. Probably the ancient Roman Forum was located here, then it was the center of the medieval city where all the events of the Giostra della Quintana were also held, today it still is “the living room” of the city with its restaurants and traditional shops.
It has a rectangular shape, with the dimensions of 29 meters x 87 meters, and on one of its long sides there is the imposing Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo with the characteristic tower, while the Church of San Francesco occupies one of the short sides. You’ll be surprised to know that its bell tower is a sculpture that represents the male organs, probably as a sign of luck.
Its current arrangement with marble dates back to the 1400’s while the doorways around the two sides date back to the Renaissance period (1509) when the final architectural form of the square was established.
The administrative life of the city takes place in the nearby Piazza Arringo where the Town Hall of Ascoli Piceno is still located.
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