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Piazza del Popolo of Ascoli

Ascoli's travertine main square, ringed by Renaissance loggias and the historic Caffe Meletti.

  • Ascoli Piceno
  • Square
Plan your visit
Where
Ascoli Piceno
Best for
1509 Julius II redesign
Allow
40 minutes
Tickets
Free

Ascoli's main square takes its name from the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, the medieval town hall with a crenellated tower that still anchors its western side. The square reached its current form in 1509, when Pope Julius II ordered governor Raniero de' Ranieri to rebuild it as a single travertine hall, roughly 2,500 square meters laid out on a strict 1:3 ratio and closed on the north by the Gothic facade of the Basilica di San Francesco.

Travertine paving had already gone down in the late fifteenth century, and it is polished enough that on a wet evening the whole square turns into a mirror. Caffe Meletti has occupied the western arcade since 1907, its Art Nouveau room barely changed, and it remains the place to order a glass of anisetta, the anise liqueur the town calls its own.

Sources and citations (2)
  1. Comune di Ascoli PicenoPiazza del PopoloPiazza del Popolo opening paragraphRead source
  2. Comune di Ascoli PicenoPietre Parlanti: Piazza del PopoloLuoghi da non perdere, Piazza del Popolo descriptionRead source

Five things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Palazzo dei Capitani del PopoloMedieval builders

    The medieval town hall with a crenellated tower anchors the square and gives it its name.The western side of the square

  2. The Basilica di San Francesco

    Its Gothic facade and apse close the north side of the square with a stone backdrop.The northern side of the square

  3. The Loggia dei Mercanti

    A Renaissance portico that shows the commercial life of the square.Beside the church of San Francesco

  4. Caffè Meletti

    An Art Nouveau room barely changed since 1907, where you can order a glass of anisetta.The western arcade

  5. The travertine pavement

    Polished enough that on a wet evening the whole square turns into a mirror.The square itself

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
40 minutes
Best time
Dusk, when the travertine glows, or morning before the cafe tables fill
Getting there
The square sits at the heart of Ascoli's pedestrian center, walkable from anywhere in town; the nearest parking is at Parcheggio Aventino, a short walk away, and the train station is a longer walk or a short bus ride.
Accessibility
Fully step free: the square is a flat, paved pedestrian area with no barriers.

Order the anisetta at Caffe Meletti neat, on its own, the way locals do, rather than in a cocktail: it is the version that actually tastes like the town.

Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Good to know

How long should you spend in Piazza del Popolo?

About 40 minutes. That is a slow loop under the arcades, a look at San Francesco and a coffee or an anisetta at Meletti.

Is Piazza del Popolo worth visiting?

Yes. It is often called one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, a single travertine hall laid out in the early 1500s.

When is the best time to visit Piazza del Popolo?

Early evening, when the square fills with locals and the travertine glows. After rain is the other good moment, when the pavement turns into a mirror.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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