Cartofaro Castle

History of the Cartofaro Castle in Ascoli Piceno

According to many historians, the name Cartofaro comes from a place name of Lombard origin. The castle was a noble residence and had a cluster of farmhouses beside it. The tower was also a papal outpost.

The Campolungo area is linked to the Sgariglia family, Ascoli nobility whose line began in the 13th century. The last descendant, Marco Sgariglia, was the city's first mayor after the unification of Italy. On his death in 1903 he left his real estate to the city, to be used for a charitable foundation.

What to see at the Cartofaro Castle

The most recognizable feature is the tower with its radiating rose window, which gives the building the look of a tower house. Near the castle is the church of San Pietro di Cerreto, built in the 15th century. It was a direct dependency of the Lateran canons and once belonged to the Roman parish of San Giovanni in Laterano.

The area also has the ruins of the small country church of San Filippo Neri and the pozzolana stone remains of the small church of Santa Felicita.

How to visit the Cartofaro Castle

The castle is privately owned. It is worth asking about openings or visits inside before setting off. The Girobus dell'arte tours, which start from the center of Ascoli, stop at Campolungo and are a way to get to know the area.

Where the Cartofaro Castle is

Campolungo is a hamlet of Ascoli Piceno, about 10.5 km east of the center, in a lower, flatter part of the Tronto valley. From Ascoli, follow the Salaria Inferiore toward San Benedetto del Tronto. The road crosses the medieval bridge of the Santi Filippo e Giacomo, then passes the Monticelli district and the Ripe area. Here the farmland still has buildings linked to sharecropping (mezzadria). Along the Salaria, after the war, the city's industrial zone grew up.

Other destinations in the city are on the page things to do in Ascoli Piceno.

Near the Cartofaro Castle in Ascoli Piceno

At the foot of the hill is Villa Sgariglia, one of the finest noble country villas in the province. It has Baroque forms, given to the villa in the 18th century to a design by Lazzaro Giosafatti. In 2008 it was converted into a residence hotel.

The Santuario dell'Assunta was built in 1777. Every August 15 it hosts a festival organized by the confraternity of the Santissimo Sacramento. At the two twin houses of the Fermo Posta, on the Salaria, travelers once changed horses. Today the building houses the Museo vivo delle tradizioni contadine, a museum of rural traditions.