Il Nido del Picchio in Ascoli Piceno

Il Nido del Picchio: what to see nearby

In the historic center, next to Piazza del Popolo, the Ventidio Basso Theater is named after a general from Ascoli of the Republican era. Built between 1839 and 1846 to a design by Ireneo Aleandri and completed by Marco Massimi, Gabriele Gabrielli and Giambattista Carducci, with 842 seats it is the largest historic theater in the province. The oval hall combines the red of the curtain, the green of the plaster and the gilding; the ceiling was painted by Ferdinando Cicconi. Reopened in 1994 after a long restoration, it can be visited on performance days or on group tours by reservation.

Ascoli is also a city of ceramics: about fifteen workshops operate in the streets of the center, where master craftsmen decorate majolica, plates and vases with floral and geometric motifs. To follow the evolution of styles and techniques there is the Museo della Ceramica, in the convent attached to the Romanesque church of San Tommaso, with both old and modern works.