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

From Porta Castello there are two roads we could take, one that leads straight ahead and brings us to the pine grove that surrounds the Castle, and the other, full of curves, but certainly more enchanting. Turning away from Porta Castello, we see a path on the right that leads upwards. Walking along it we may stop to admire the splendid panorama. Beneath us we find a close network of the roofs of the town’s buildings and then, a little further on, the beach and the sea. Looking to the left, towards the north, we see a hill with a rounded summit where some broadcast antennas are located. This hill, separated from the Grottammare Castle by the trench of Santa Lucia (or Cantalone), is called Monte delle Quaglie (Mount of Quails).

It is another hill right next to the sea that has caused concern because of landslides which, in the course of the centuries, have regularly plagued the vicinity.  The greatest disaster,  was one that happened on 3 April 1843, at two o’clock in the morning, when a part of the hill broke off, forming an enormous mass of loose earth that advanced into the sea disappearing, under the water. Another serious landslide, in which twenty people were killed, happened on 9 May 1928 at 10 o’clock in the evening. It could have been a much worse accident, as a passenger train was nearing the area, and with only seconds to spare, was able to stop and avoid being overcome by the falling mass. This landslide, the last one that has taken place, had also involved parts of the cliffs of the Monte delle Quaglie, which still today is called “La Frana” (The Landslide). Continuing our walk upwards, the road becomes particularly slippery and steep, so we suggest that you pay careful attention and make use of the handrail. At the end, we find before us a compact group of houses and an even more fascinating view of the landscape.
The building up high on the left, initially administered by nuns, has been used as a boarding school and later as a halfway house. The placement of some metal stairways, next to this building, has made access to the Castle possible.
Passing through, we may walk within the walls of the fortification. Very little remains of the original defensive structure that is dated to the 11th or even the 10th century. The current form is a stratification where one can retrace another part that is datable at the 13th century with successive changes that were probably from the 1500s and a restoration dating from the beginning of the 1900s. Descending from the stairway we observe the tower, where it is still possible to see a segment of the boardwalk used by the guards and an unusual view of the section of an ancient roof. This tower, given its privileged position, had for centuries served as the lighthouse for boats at sea and, a clock that was visible from the town was located here. In 1766, due to its imminent ruin, it was decided to demolish it to its current state.
Going towards the pine grove that surrounds the Castle, we can understand the building in a more complete way. We can see some drains in the superior outer wall and, in the tower itself, some traces of corbels are evident. The high part of the wall is certainly the oldest part, where it is still possible to see the openings for the drawbridge rests. We should not think of it as a structure designed for housing people: it was essentially a presidium over the territory.
Continuing to walk through the pines, the beauty of the surrounding environment is quite evident. It has been put under the guardianship of the Regional Committee for Tutelage of Environmental Heritage (Commissione Regionale per la Tutela dei Beni Ambientali) to prohibit exploitation or abuse. The panorama that we are able to enjoy here is extraordinary, allowing us to view the entire coast from north to south, observing the fertile hills whose harmonious profiles appear to run into the sea. The grove that we are now in is made up of the Aleppo Pine, a species that was planted in the southern coast of the Marches at the beginning of the last century. A particular element of interest is the presence of the darker southern variety of squirrel in this area. If we pay attention, we may be able to see among the branches the silhouette of this small animal with its characteristic tail, who has found in this environment its ideal habitat. The presence of the squirrel is quite rare, considering the minimal presence of this animal along the Adriatic coastline.

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