Travelcast Piceno - Audio & Video Guide per la Provincia di Ascoli Piceno

As much as the view from the terrace is unbeatable, the lower part of the Torrione most fully expresses its unique characteristics. Always an impressive military work, the Torrione (main tower), beyond being one of the most difficult points in a girdle of walls to conquer, also becomes the symbol of the power of a town. The tower that is before us has a circular form, made entirely of local brick, crowned by curved battlements that are mounted on three-pronged corbels with alternating drains. These are elements that may seem decorative, but actually have a purely military function.

Accurately restored, the Torrione is next to another building whose current appearance results from recent work of restoration. In a terrible state of conservation, practically collapsed, was the Hospital of Sant’Antonio, which had been administered by the Confraternity of Corpus Christi, founded within the Church of San Giovanni at the start of the 16th century. In this building, and in the one adjacent to the Torrione, the Municipal Museum, dedicated to the sculptor Pericle Fazzini, was established. The Torrione watched over Porta Marina (Marina Gateway) which, together with the now destroyed Porta Maggiore (Great Gateway) and Porta Castello (Castle Gateway), constituted one of the three entrances to the town. There are evident stylistic similarities that this Municipal Gate shares with the Torrione, both for the colour and type of brick used and for the three-pronged corbels. Historical sources confirmed that the same workers executed these two civic works during the same period. There is talk of Lombard groups that had settled in the zone who undertook the assignments of major works. Also attributed to them, in addition to the Torrione and Porta Marina are the Church of Santa Lucia and the ancient building, now lost, of the Church of San Giovanni.
The reason behind the construction of the building that we are facing is evident in its very name, “Torrione della Battaglia”, (Battle Tower), which serves a specifically defensive purpose. Indeed, following the intensification of the attacks from the sea by the pirates, it was deemed necessary to surround the town with a wall, reinforce it with a battle tower and provide it with gateways. It was a decision that was made following a series of invasions and raids by pirates, which proved that the defensive structures already in place, dating from the 13th century, could not sufficiently protect the town. Three attacks in particular were memorable for their ruthlessness: that of 1470, that of 1479 and, lastly, the most famous invasion of the pirates from Ducigno in 1525. These were episodes that were far too cruel to allow them to happen with such frequency. Thus, in 1527 it was decided to reinforce the defensive structures of the town. 1540 is reported as the year in which construction of the Torrione and the town walls was begun.
The site on which they were constructed is particularly significant if we bear in mind that at the time the town stretched out over the sea, which up until the 17th century came up to where today’s Adriatic Highway is located. For this reason it was necessary to protect this part of the town and to supply it with elements that could also provide lookout points, such as the Torrione. Furthermore, the point in which we stand was  said to be the ancient harbour of Grottammare. There are many who speak of the existence of this port. It is however difficult to know whether it was a natural coastal formation or an artificial manmade construction. In 1258, as a matter of fact, King Manfredi gave up Grottammare to Fermo “cum suo porto” (with its port). He must have been considering, a natural formation if Fermo in 1299 began construction of the Harbour at Grottammare. It was a project that was never completed, due to a papal prohibition of new ports which might interfere with nearby Ancona’s. However, another mention of the Harbour is made again in the 16th century, when it was mentioned that here several war ships, known as Galliots, were stationed, and in the 19th century, when the Harbour of Grottammare was a normal maritime port and, from Ancona to the Tronto River, was second only to Civitanova for the movement of cargo.

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