Driving in Ascoli Piceno — A ZTL Around One of Italy's Finest Squares

Ascoli Piceno's historic centre has a Zona a Traffico Limitato restricting unauthorised cars, with fines around EUR 83-160. Hotels inside can sometimes register your plate. For most visitors, parking outside the zone and walking is simplest — the compact travertine old town, around the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Arringo, is best explored on foot.

Check emission zone requirements

Ascoli's Piazza del Popolo is widely considered one of the finest squares in Italy, a harmonious open space paved in travertine and framed by Renaissance arcades, the Gothic church of San Francesco and the Palazzo dei Capitani, with the historic Caffè Meletti on one side. The whole town is built of the same pale stone, giving it a graceful unity. The square is the heart of the city and the place to sit and watch the passeggiata, all on foot.

Olive all'ascolana are Ascoli Piceno's signature dish: large green olives stoned, stuffed with a savoury meat filling, then breaded and deep-fried, served hot as a snack or starter. They're a beloved speciality of the city and the surrounding Marche, found in bars and restaurants throughout the centre. Trying them with a local aperitivo in the Piazza del Popolo is part of the Ascoli experience, enjoyed on foot in the walkable old town.

Use a car park outside the ZTL, then walk into the centre. There are lots around the edge of the historic core. The compact travertine old town, the two great squares and the medieval towers are walkable. Parking outside the restricted zone and walking is the simplest approach, keeping the car for the surrounding Marche.

Plan your trip costs including parking

Not for the compact old town, which is walkable. A car helps for exploring the Marche around it — the Sibillini mountains and national park, the Adriatic coast (San Benedetto del Tronto is close), and the hill towns and countryside — driven from a car park outside the ZTL centre.