Garibaldi in Arquata del Tronto
Garibaldi in Arquata del Tronto is a brief but well-documented episode: on the night between January 26 and 27, 1849 the general stopped in Arquata del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, on his way to Rome. It was the third and last stop in the Ascoli area. The village stands at 777 m above sea level, in the Tronto valley, and is the only municipality in Europe that lies within two national parks: the Sibillini Mountains National Park and the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.
The village bears the scars of the 2016 earthquake. Much of the historic center has been destroyed, and the places connected with Garibaldi are not the original ones. Casa Ambrosi, where the general slept, has been destroyed. The inscription commemorating him has been relocated to the SAE (emergency housing) area of the Borgo.
Garibaldi in Arquata: what to know
Garibaldi arrived in Arquata on Friday, January 26, 1849, after leaving Ascoli Piceno and climbing the upper Tronto valley, through the Apennines. Local tradition says that at Porta Romana, in Ascoli, he took leave of those present and once again refused an escort on the mountain roads. The first rest stop was at Acquasanta Terme. Here, according to the story, he got off his horse and sat on a travertine bench to light a cigar.
The journey had a precise purpose. While the volunteers reached Rieti through the Chienti valley and the Colfiorito pass, Garibaldi and his party headed toward the south of the Roman Republic to inspect the border with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In his Memoirs he wrote that he crossed the Apennines "over the steep heights of the Sibilla", with snow raging. His traveling companions are recorded as Nino Bixio, as orderly officer, Gaetano Sacchi, Marocchetti, the servant Andrea d'Aguyar and the little dog Guerrillo, lamed by a wound. The group also included Candido Augusto Vecchi, born in Fermo and an adopted son of Ascoli. The accounts of the episode come from his writings.
In Arquata the general was hosted by the local governor, Gaetano Rinaldi, described as the leader of the clerical reaction. He slept at Casa Ambrosi. Vecchi tells of a long dinner that went on until midnight. On the morning of January 27, before dawn, Garibaldi and his men set off again toward Rieti. The governor gave them four libbre (pounds) of truffles for the journey.
The setting helps explain the choice of this stop. Arquata stands on a hill dominated by a 13th-century fortress, along the ancient route of the Via Salaria. It was a border area between the Kingdom of Naples and the Papal States. With the Restoration the village returned to the Papal States, in the apostolic delegation of Ascoli.
The memory of that night is tied to a plaque. It was unveiled on August 20, 1882, on the façade of the civic tower, on the initiative of a promoting committee supported by the Municipality, after Garibaldi's death on June 2, 1882. The inscription gives the date as February 19, 1849, but this is incorrect: the stop took place between January 26 and 27. The plaque was later moved to the façade of Casa Ambrosi to make room for the war memorial. Arquata also still has a street named after Garibaldi.
After the 2016 earthquake the inscription became visible again. In August 2021, on the fifth anniversary of the earthquake, it was permanently placed in the SAE area "Borgo1" in Arquata del Tronto. Another memento of the episode, linked to the inscription and to a 19th-century high-relief bust, has been re-created as a commemorative plaque.
Garibaldi in Arquata: the places today
There are no fixed dates or annual events dedicated to Garibaldi's visit, and nothing dictates a particular season for visiting the places connected with the episode. The historical event took place at the end of January, in snow and cold, as Garibaldi himself recalls in his Memoirs. Those who choose winter should take mountain road conditions into account.
More than the season, what matters is the state of the sites. At the end of August 2026 the work to stabilize and support the historic center of the main village was handed over to the contractors. The overall budget is 71 million euros, and work on the site was expected to start in the first days of September. This work is needed before the public and private buildings of the old village can be rebuilt. The original village is therefore a construction site, and the accessible areas may change over time.
Garibaldi in Arquata: practical tips
The main point of reference is the inscription in the SAE area "Borgo1" in Arquata del Tronto. The old core on the hill, with the civic tower and Casa Ambrosi, cannot be visited as it once could: Casa Ambrosi has been destroyed and the historic center is largely evacuated and affected by the works. Before visiting, ask the Comune (town hall) which areas are accessible and where the inscription and plaque are currently located, as the construction work may change the situation.
The theme can be combined with a route along the Tronto valley. Garibaldi's journey took in Ascoli Piceno, Acquasanta Terme and Arquata before continuing toward Rieti. To place the episode in the wider context of the area, a good starting point is the page on Sibillini Mountains history.
As with any trip in the Apennines, it is worth checking the weather before setting out, especially in winter.