Arquata del Tronto: Fortress, National Parks and Local Culture

Arquata del Tronto between Landscape and History

Arquata del Tronto combines natural landscapes with traces of history. The municipality is the only one in Europe whose territory lies within two national parks: the Monti Sibillini and the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga. The town centre lies on a hill dominated by the imposing 13th-century fortress, which overlooks the entire valley. The Rocca di Arquata del Tronto rises on a rocky spur above the settlement. Its later fortifications include a tower dating from the 11th or 12th century.

Roman Roads and Sacred Heritage

Since Roman times, the Via Salaria has run through the Arquata del Tronto area and was an important transport and trade route. In Trisungo, a milestone from the 1st century BC from the ancient Via Salaria has been preserved. The Church of San Francesco in Borgo di Arquata houses an extract from the Shroud of Turin.

In Capodacqua stands an octagonal 16th-century temple dedicated to the Madonna del Sole. The frescoes in the temple are attributed to Cola d'Amatrice. The historic centre of Arquata also houses the Diego Pierpaoli Museum. It is associated with modern art and Immanentism, an artistic movement founded by Professor Diego Pierpaoli.

Crafts, Museums and Special Places

Villa Papi has been preserved as a house museum with a large park. There, the artist's creations are combined with the natural surroundings of the extensive park. In Colle, the traditional production of charcoal has been preserved as an ancient craft. In Pretare, the remains of a lime kiln recall the processing of limestone to produce quicklime.

Hiking and Winter Sports

The hike from Forca di Presta takes 2.5 to 3 hours, follows the upper edge of the centuries-old Macchia Cavaliera beech forest and then reaches the Rifugio Città di Ascoli mountain refuge at Colle Cese.

Arquata del Tronto is also associated with winter sports. The ski facilities at Forca Canapine comprise three lifts serving a network of 16 runs of varying difficulty.

Regional Specialties and Living Traditions

Local specialities can also be found in the cuisine. Fagioli fritti in brodo is a traditional dish from Pretare. Zochene and Frascatigli, handmade pasta specialities, originate from Spelonga. The annual cycle includes the patronal festival of Arquata del Tronto in honour of the Santissimo Salvatore, held every year on the first Sunday in September. A Turkish flag is also kept in the Church of Sant'Agata in Spelonga.

Other places for planning your regional trip include Rotella, Il Palazzo, San Benedetto Del Tronto, Montecchio, Venagrande, Ripatransone, Uscerno and Acquasanta Terme.

For the overarching travel overview: Ascoli Piceno.