Church of San Pietro Martire (Ascoli Piceno)

History of the Church of San Pietro Martire

The Dominicans built the church to commemorate the visit of Pietro da Verona (Peter of Verona) to the city in 1250. They built it together with the convent, home to a Studium, on the site of an older church dedicated to San Domenico. It was the second Dominican settlement in Ascoli, after the one at the Piazzarola.

Work began around 1280 and progressed fairly quickly: by 1332 the church was already complete. In the 16th century the wooden truss roofs were replaced by masonry cross vaults, and the polygonal pillars by cylindrical ones. The 17th century brought the Baroque altars and the portal of the main facade.

What to see in the Church of San Pietro Martire

Outside, the striking features are the three polygonal apses and the side portal of 1523, by Cola dell'Amatrice, with fluted columns and a triangular pediment. On the side facing the square, a plaque from 1613 about the merchants' tax is set into the wall. The bell tower, 36 meters tall, was originally a noble family tower.

The interior has three naves, five bays and ten cylindrical pillars; it measures 62 by 26 meters. Traces of frescoes remain: in the left apse a Crucifixion and a Noli me tangere by the Maestro di Offida (mid-14th century), and in the central apse a series of Saints attributed to Nicola di Ulisse da Siena (early 15th century). The Baroque altars, made from the second half of the 17th century to the first quarter of the 18th century, show two different types.

In the right apse is the reliquary of the Sacra Spina, by the goldsmith Nicola da Campli from the early 15th century. The relic arrived in Ascoli in 1290, thanks to an exchange between Philip IV of France and his Dominican confessor. Every year, on the third Sunday of June, the Festa della Sacra Spina (Feast of the Holy Thorn) is held. The left apse holds the remains of Blessed Costanzo da Fabriano. In the sacristy there is a canvas from 1574 by the de Magistris.

Visiting the Church of San Pietro Martire

The church is a place of worship, so visitors should respect religious services. Mass times are in the information box on this page. To see the reliquary on a special occasion, the third Sunday of June, the day of the Festa della Sacra Spina, is a good choice.

Where the Church of San Pietro Martire is

The church stands in the historic center of Ascoli Piceno, in the San Giacomo quarter. The main facade faces Via delle Torri, a rather narrow street. The side with the portal by Cola dell'Amatrice faces piazza Ventidio Basso, which was already a market area before the church was built. In the past the area had several noble family towers.

Around the Church of San Pietro Martire

The Church of Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio belongs to the same parish. To continue a walk through the city, visit the Cathedral of Sant'Emidio. More ideas for the day are on the page about things to do in Ascoli Piceno.