Coastal town in the province of Ascoli Piceno, San Benedetto del Tronto is a very popular summer seaside resort. Also one of the most important fishing ports on the Adriatic coast. The town is also called "Pearl of the Adriatic", thanks to the presence of a scenic promenade, shaded by trees, along the seafront. It features two main districts: one is represented by the old town centre, while the other is the beach area (Marina).
There is no reliable data source on its origins: it is assumed that the first settlement was founded around year 998 and developed around a church. In the XI century, the town was ceded in fief to the Bishop of Fermo, and suffered a long period of contention between Fermo and Ascoli. In the second half of the XV century an epidemic of plague broke out and decimated the population: The following century was not more generous: it was subject to several attacks and subsequent looting. In the XVIII century, the town started its expansion beyond the fortified walls and with the reclamation of the marshlands, the first houses in the Marina area were built.
Attractions:
- the Church of San Benedetto. The original structure was built in the XI century on the site of an older church, which preserved within the remains of this Saint's tomb. The present building retains, in addition to the relics of St. Benedetto, an XVIII century altarpiece by the artist Ricci, a XVI century one and an XVIII century one of unknown authors, as well as a series of other important works;
- the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Marina. The original building was built in the first half of the XVII century near to coastline and demolished in 1899, it was rebuilt in 1908;
- the Church of Saint Lucia, built in 1785 and from where it is possible to admire a fabulous view over the city;
- the Church of St. Joseph, whose construction began in 1870;
- the Shrine of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament;
- the garrison of the Papal States, named so, for the important role played for centuries, as last fortification of the Papal States, on the border with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It is an imposing quadrangular shaped building with a stone portal;
- the Guelph Tower of Porto d'Ascoli, a square base construction, built for defensive purposes which dates back to the XIV century and is what remains of a castle destroyed by the Lords of Fermo;
- the Tower of the Gualtieri, of the XV century, made of brick and still features hexagonal brackets and battlements;
- the Amphora Museum;
- the Fishermen's Museum.