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

Largo Speranza, with its flowered balconies, is one of the main  points of access to the town and the starting point of our out-of-town itinerary: to the right, before taking the main street that crosses the town, we can admire the ancient Palazzo of the Marquises Bruti-Liberati. On the facade of this building, a faded inscription can still be read, harking back to the Fascist period: «Se la vittoria fu mutilata una volta non è detto che debba essere mutilata ancora» (If victory was mutilated once, it does not mean it cannot be mutilated again).

Travelling on the highway, in an east-west direction, to our left, we can take in one of the most beautiful and charming landscapes of the Marche region: behind the  Riviera delle Palme (Riviera of the Palms), rising in the foreground, are Monte San Marco (Mount San Marco) and Monte dell’Ascensione (Mount of the Ascension), recognizable by its characteristic profile of a sleeping woman. In the background, we can admire the mountain range of the Sibillines, which slowly recede into the hills of the Marche region, until reaching the promontory of the Conero that stands out against the cobalt blue sea. Below, completing the landscape, are the vineyards and cultivated fields that characterize this territory.
Arriving at the pinewoods of the Monterone, and passing the ancient  Porta di Agello (Agello City Gate), one of the entrances through the city walls that still surrounds the town, after a few meters we pass the mysterious Grotte di Santità  (Grottos of Sanctity), almost hidden from view by the thick vegetation, and of which mysterious stories and legends are told. The grottos probably of Etruscan origin, consist of a series of intricate, underground tunnels that  were only partially explored and that, according to many, probably run under the entire town. In fact, there are numerous legends that suggest the grottos hide dark, narrow passages leading all the way to the Paese Alto (High City or Ancient City) of Grottammare. The grottos are currently closed, since they are considered dangerous. In fact, a few years ago, they caused Piazza Matteotti to cave in, leading to the discovery of the remains of an ancient church.
Continuing along towards Cossignano and Montefiore, we arrive at the rural Church of the  Madonna della Misericordia (Our Lady of Mercy), also  known as Madonna del “Carmine”. This building, which dates back to 1552, is so called because of its ties to the Carmelite Priests. The interior artwork includes important frescos by Simone de Magistris from Caldarola.
The S. Giuseppe country road, which descends to the Menocchia river, then climbs back up to  Montefiore, offers remarkable glimpses of the territory of Ripatransone.  Located on this road is La Cantina dei Colli Ripani, a winery with approximately 500 members. The wines of its selected line,  Pharus, like the  Leo Ripanus and the Khorakanè, has obtained important national recognition.

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