Hill Towns of Italy

Contents

Ascoli Piceno
La città delle cento torri
Day trips from Ascoli
Il Mulino di Vale
Valle and surrounding area

After spending eight days in Venice (see the first travelogue from our Italy trip), we spent almost two weeks exploring other, less well-known parts of Italy, focusing on some of the beautiful hill towns of Emilia Romagna and Le Marche (The Marches).

Our first stop was an ancient town at the southern edge of Le Marche, Ascoli Piceno. On VRBO we found an unusual apartment that was an ideal base for exploring the area.

The apartment was located on a narrow street in the old part of the town. To get there required climbing four flights of steps to reach a sitting room that was common to three apartments, then up one more flight to our own, which was itself on two separate levels.

It grew quite cold for two or three nights of our stay, but on the lower level was a porcelain fireplace that helped to keep things cheerful.

We chose Ascoli because it lies well outside the usual tourist destinations in Italy, yet offers many attractions. In almost a week we did not meet another American, or as far as we knew any non-Italian tourist. One consequence of its lying off the tourist map, of course, is that few people speak English. Our very limited Italian was hard pressed on occasion.

The town was founded in the 11th century BC by the Piceni, a tribe that predated the Romans. As a point of comparison, Ascoli was a thriving community when Venice was uninhabited swampland. The Romans conquered the area in the 1st century BC, and built a number of substantial bridges, some of which are still in evidence.

The town is bordered by rivers on both sides. Our apartment was on the north side of the town, close to the River Tronto, where the oldest buildings can be found. Crossing the Tronto is the Ponte Solestá, built by the Romans in the 1st century AD. At one end of the bridge is the Porta Solestá, a fortified medieval gateway.

The historical character of the area around our apartment is evident in the narrow stepped alleys, and lovely stone buildings on cobble streets. Most of the buildings are constructed from travertine, a form of limestone that was originally quite shiny, but has faded with age. According to one commentator, Ascoli has "the look of a grande dame, old and slightly ashen but with the unmistakable air of prestige"

Ascoli is known as la città delle cento torri, city of 100 towers. At one time there were, it is said, as many as 200 towers in the city. Today one can find about 50. One hundred is a reasonable compromise.

Certainly one sees towers everywhere. Some towers form part of a former nobleman's palace, some are bell towers attached to churches, some were created for defensive purposes. From a window in the apartment's living room one could see three close by. A fourth was a few doors down at the so-called Palazzo Longobardo.

One interesting note: That so many towers have survived for so long is surprising in an area where earthquakes are not uncommon. The patron saint of Ascoli is St. Emidio, who supposedly protects against earthquakes. He seems to have done his job well.

The center of social life in Ascoli is the Piazza del Popolo, a beautiful square surrounded by travertine buildings. The loggia on three sides are mostly occupied by bars, cafes, and restaurants. On the fourth side is the church of San Francesco, with its elegant bell tower. In the center of one side is the Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, dating from the 13th century.

Near the Piazza del Popolo is a second lovely square, Piazza Arringo (which had been taken over by a food fair during our visit). At one end of the piazza is Cattedrale di Sant'Emidio (the saint who has successfully protected the city from earthquakes).

Perhaps we had been spoiled by the glory of churches in Venice; the cathedral was the only church we saw in Ascoli to match this grandeur. We especially liked the crypt, which offered a number of interesting corners to explore. Gordon was intrigued to find one medieval knight who looked like a member of the family.

Close to our apartment were two churches we thought interesting. The church of Pietro Martire has some elegant baroque-period features. Almost next door is a church with a very different character, Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio. The interior of this church is almost austere.

As in the case of the churches, so with museums. The offerings in Ascoli do not match the richness of the art and history to be found in Venice. Nevertheless, there are four that we found interesting and informative, and in some cases unique.

The history of the area is illustrated in the Archeological Museum, which includes exhibits from the Roman era, as well as some beautiful examples of crafts left by the Piceni.

Across the Piazza Arringo the Pinacoteca Civica, or art museum, offers an attractive sample of work from later periods. The museum is housed in a palace approached through the museum garden. It contains a series of rooms that are beautifully appointed with works of all sort.

Each room contain paintings and sculptures from a period in Ascoli's history. A 15th century painting of virgin and child amused us with a baby that seems unusually cute for the period.

One other thing that impressed us and surprised us a little was how accessible the works are, like this beautiful vase that one is afraid to get too close to for fear of bumping.

During our stay in Ascoli the art museums had a display of paintings of Saint Francis, from early renaissance to a painting of the saint by Carravagio.

For hundreds of years Ascoli has been known for its ceramics. The art form is celebrated in the Ceramics Museum. On display is a range of work from the traditional to the contemporary to the whimsical.

But the museum we found most interesting was the Papal Paper Mill. A mill was built on the site in the 8th century, then rebuilt by Pope Julius II. An interesting sculpture greets visitors to the modern mill.

The museum was closed when we first tried to visit, but we took an enjoyable hike along mill stream, the Castellano River, which borders the south side of Ascoli. Cascades along the river suggest the potential energy that might be harnessed.

We returned for a tour of the mill, offered by a tour guide who kindly made a special effort to explain things in English for the two Americans in the group. She explained how water was directed through sluices to drive the hammers (modern copies of the originals) that created the pulp, which was then used to create paper.

On one of our walks around town, we came across another statue that seemed to feature a grandiose military gentleman with a birds' nest on his head. First noted with the statue of Victor Emmanuel in Venice, it turns out to be feathers on the helmet. The statue was, however, a chance to pay our respects to a friendly lion.

Sight seeing in churches, museums, etc, is all very well, but these days on our overseas trips we most enjoy just relaxing in places frequented by locals. We like to observe, and develop a sense for what daily life is like. Without going out of our way, we sometimes come across interesting episodes.

Hanging out and eating lunch at a restaurant one day in the Piazza del Popolo, we noticed a large group gathering at the next two or three tables. They were there to greet bride and groom after a wedding and help out with the wedding photos. At one point it started to rain. An enterprising young man appeared, prepared to do a little business.

Our favorite place to hang out, though, was another spot in Piazza del Popolo, the Capitani Bar. We stopped in often for snacks and pecorino. The pecorino, named after a cheese, is a local white wine that we enjoyed.

The meal shown here cost roughly $8 (including taxes and service). No wonder this became a frequent resting place on our walks to town.Our favorite waiter, even though his English was worse than our Italian, soon came to know what we liked.

Most of the bars and restaurants in Ascoli offer as a snack an item for which the town is famous, olive all'ascolana. Olives are stuffed with ground meat cooked with wine and lemon zest, then breaded and deep fried. Gordon was not impressed.

One source of entertainment that costs little in the way of money or effort is watching children: Boys posing for photos trying to look important. Children kicking a football around. Other boys on bikes making use of the vacant market area, with adolescents keeping a suspicious eye on them. And kids of all ages hanging out in the Capitani Bar. Bars generally are family-friendly institutions.

Ascoli is only about 30 kilometers from the coast, an easy day's trip if one is in search of beaches. The nearby coast is also the best source of good seafood. We spent much of a day in San Benedetto, where we had a first class lunch consisting mostly of local sea food.

One doesn't get far from the coast before seeing typical Italian hill country. A little northeast of Ascoli there is an imposing church set on the edge of a steep hill. This 13th century church sits at the edge of the lovely town of Offida.

A 16th century epic by Francesco Panfilo sums up Offida: "The noble Offida rises in the middle of pleasant fields, made more beautiful and stronger by its fortress and walls, and more powerful by its wealth and civic virtue." We can't speak for its civic virtue, but it is worth noting that for hundreds of years Offida has been famous for its lace, memorialized in a statue representing three generations of lace makers.

The church, Santa Maria del Rocca, is known for its crypt, unusual in that the main door leads directly to the crypt. It contains a number of 15th century frescoes. Stairs from the crypt then lead to the main aisle, which is laid out in a spare, simple style.

Attractive as Offida might be, our favorite area town was Castel Trosino, only 6 kilometers south of Ascoli, but a slow drive along a narrow mountain road.

We arrived in the village about 10 a.m., and we were the only people to be seen. We had the beautiful village to ourselves. Someone, though, had been taking care of a lovely old barn.

At one point a window over our heads opened, and an older gentleman leaned out to tend to his window box. A few minutes later the local restaurant, Taverna dei Longobardi, opened its doors. The charming waitress served us coffee and beer, and we promised to return later for lunch.

We set off then for a walk up into the hills. We were treated to beautiful views of the village and surrounding countryside, including a sight of the snow-capped Sibillini mountains to the west.

We returned to Castel Trosino a couple of hours later. This time we saw three other people, but they were leaving. The village was ours again. We were just in time for lunch at Taverna dei Longobardi. The waitress and her mother took us in for lunch, and we enjoyed one of the best meals of our vacation - simple, but perfectly prepared. Even though neither spoke any English, we were treated kindly. Perhaps being the only customers helped, but we felt quite special.

From Ascoli we drove north to the tiny hamlet of Valle, a few kilometers from the small town of Serramazzoni, itself about 30 kilometers south of Modena. Modena lies at the edge of the Po valley, broad and flat, but as one drives south the countryside becomes more and more hilly.

Our destination in Valle was a unique bed and breakfast, Il Mulino di Valle. Until the 1970s this had been a working grain mill. The miller became depressed when his beloved donkey was killed in a freak accident (!), and retired. The buildings were untended for 40 years. A few years ago a young couple set out to restore the mill and convert it into a B&B.

The proprietors' quarters and three apartments occupy the main building. On our arrival we were greeted by Big Boy, one of the friendliest guard dogs we have ever met, and then checked into our apartment at the top of the outside stairs.

We learned something of the effort that had gone into restoring the mill when Yan, one of the proprietors, gave us a tour of the property. Accompanied by Big Boy, we set off to explore the buildings and grounds.

Valle is an ideal setting for a grain mill, close enough to the wheat fields in the low lying areas, yet at the edge of steep hills where rapid streams and rivers run year round. This had been the last of numerous mills in the area. An old bridge, now in rather hazardous condition, marks where a major road had once run by the property.

The mill had been powered by three small rivers that had been channeled to converge above the mill. Two of them come together near the bridge. One is quite clear; the other is colored by a heavy limestone concentration. The limestone coats the mill turbine, which had to be carefully cleaned and reconstructed (although it is no longer operative).

Next to the living quarters is a store house and stable (home for the donkey), and behind it lies what had been a large oven for baking bread. The sections to the left of the oven had been used for housing chickens (it was warm). The lower one is now Big Boy's kennel.

Uphill from the main buildings is a smaller one. Considerable detective work revealed that this had been a separate mill used to grind chestnut flour. One sees now where the mill wheel had been situated.

The mill maintains goats, doves, and rabbits. A number of quail are kept, regular providers of quail eggs that are served each morning with breakfast.

Valle is a tiny village on the edge of beautiful hill country. To get there one must navigate vary narrow roads around tight hairpin bends, hoping all the time not to meet oncoming traffic.

The village consists of half a dozen houses, including two restaurants, one of which is excellent, and a church. The church clock tower, we discovered, starts operations at 5 a.m.

The fields outside the village and along the road were full of wildflowers at the time we were there, which added to the attraction of the region.

We took time to explore other parts of the surrounding countryside. At the top of the hill behind Il Mulino is the village of Monfestino. Although less than a kilometer distant as the crow flies, it takes a very circuitous route to drive there.

In the center of the town is a very old castle, the origins of which are unknown. (It is now for sale). Behind the castle is a tiny chapel with a cemetery. We enjoy visiting such cemeteries since they can offer touching glimpses of the lives of the people buried there.

We took a hike along the trails near the village, very quiet and peaceful, passing an occasional abandoned building. The hike was relaxing, although the trail was not without hazards of its own.

A little further south from Valle one sees the peaks of the Appenine mountains. The foothills are dotted with lovely little towns like Montebonello. We spent a little time walking around the town of Frassineti, where someone had put together some interesting wall decorations outside a farmhouse.

To the north, closer to Modena, is a town that attracts many visitors, Castelvetro. When approaching the town there is a shortcut for pedestrians. This leads to a small, very attractive square bordered by the Palazzo Comunale. This was built in the 19th century next to the remains of the 5th century castle. In one corner of the square is a handsome clock tower.

Before having lunch at an elegant hotel, we visited the cemetery and explored some of the shops. One book shop apparently specializes in rare ancient prints.

We spent one morning hiking to a well-known series of falls not far from Valle, Cascate del Bucamante. It was a strenuous hike with tricky footing, sometimes forcing us to cross primitive bridges. At the end of the trail are a series of dramatic waterfalls.

Around each bend in the trail is another waterfall, until at the end of the canyon one can rest and catch one's breath, or clamber further up among the rocks. It is interesting to note how some of the falls carry a heavy deposit of limestone; others are relatively clear.

Of course, one cannot visit the area without exploring Modena. Even though we had close to our fill of museums and tourist sites by then, there was enough in the city to catch our interest.

At the center of the city is its most eye-catching attraction, the 12th century duomo. Created in the early romanesque style, the building gleams in the sun.

There are other notable buildings to see in the city, especially the Palazzo Ducale, built during the baroque period. It was created for the local Este court, and is now a military headquarters.

South of the duomo is the Modena market. In cooking circles, of course, Modena is synonymous with balsamic vinegar, which was prominently featured in the market.

And one cannot visit Modena without checking out its second-best-known product. A museum has been built on the site of Enzo Ferrari's first house, designed in the shape of a Ferrari hood. Under the hood are a dozen or more classic Ferraris, all ready for take off. The factory itself, however, has been moved out of Modena in the direction of Serramazzoni, to the town of Maranello.

After admiring the raw power of a fine sports car, we were brought back to earth, as it were, by a different encounter on the streets of Castelvetro.

Other Pitz Vacations