B&B Chartaria, Ascoli Piceno

B&B Chartaria: location

The property is on Via Adriatico, in the municipality of Ascoli Piceno.

B&B Chartaria: services

The B&B has three rooms. A second unit, B&B Chartaria II, operates at the same address, with another three rooms.

What to see near B&B Chartaria

Along the Castellano stream stands the Cartiera papale (Papal Paper Mill), built of travertine blocks: for centuries it used the flow of the water to grind grain, make paper and full cloth. Mills were already working in the bend of the stream in the 8th century, and a small paper mill is documented from the 13th century, renovated and enlarged in 1512 at the behest of Pope Julius II. A system of channels, basins and sluices carried the water to the machines, which also served the ironworks and the olive press, and returned it to the stream downstream.

After decades of neglect, the Province bought and restored the building, an example of industrial archaeology. Today it houses the Museo della Carta (Paper Museum), the Museo di Storia Naturale «Antonio Orsini» (natural history museum), the permanent exhibition «Tutta l'acqua del mondo» and, since 2017, the Biblioteca provinciale di storia contemporanea «Ugo Toria» (provincial library of contemporary history), with about 18,000 volumes.