Church of Madonna del Ponte

History of the Church of Madonna del Ponte in Ascoli Piceno

In 1689 the priest Don Angelo Mancini turned an old farmhouse donated by the Alvitreti family into a small church. Inside he placed the section of wall bearing the image of the Madonna, to encourage devotion. The church held regular services from 1720. In 1735 it was enlarged and took on the elliptical form with dome and small lantern that it has today. In 1748 a nephew of Mancini, also a priest, provided it with the altar and the sacristy. He also had the interior decorated by the Ascoli painter Biagio Miniera.

The earthquake of October 30, 2016 (magnitude 6.5) brought down part of the roof and made the building unsafe. The post-earthquake restoration also covered the lantern, whose top was rebuilt, and the replacement of the wooden roof.

What to see in the Church of Madonna del Ponte

The interior is a single space. On the altar is the oil-on-canvas altarpiece painted in 1758 by the Dutch artist Carlo (Karel) Ramond, with Saint Joseph, Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Luke. In the center, an oval opening reveals the venerated image of the Madonna.

Miniera's paintings, covered over in the last century, were long remembered as "furious" for their liveliness and unconventional style. During the latest work, frescoes of the Battle of Lepanto came to light, but they were not recovered for lack of funds.

In front of the church, in the small square, is a 20th-century stone fountain with the city's coat of arms. From there, ruins of Roman and medieval structures can still be seen.

How to visit the Church of Madonna del Ponte

After the work ended in September 2025, the building was handed back to the community. As it is a place of worship, it is worth checking in advance whether the interior can be visited. The small square and fountain in front, with paving redone in 2023, can be seen from outside in any case.

Where the Church of Madonna del Ponte is

The church is in Ascoli Piceno, in the Porta Cartara district, just past the Santo Spirito bridge. The neighborhood is also called Ponte Cartaro.

Near the Church of Madonna del Ponte in Ascoli Piceno

To continue a visit to the city, the page things to do in Ascoli Piceno collects the other stops. Among Ascoli's places of worship is also the Cathedral of Sant'Emidio in Ascoli Piceno.