Ascoli Piceno Events

The Quintana

A joust between the six sestieri, run twice each summer — a Sunday in July and a Sunday in August — in which riders in fifteenth-century armour charge a rotating wooden Saracen and strike a target on its shield. The statutes governing it were written down in 1377 and the modern form dates from 1955. A procession of well over a thousand costumed participants crosses the city beforehand, and the costumes are made in the district halls by people who live here.

Carnival

One of the oldest in the Marche and almost entirely improvised: masked groups perform satirical sketches in dialect in Piazza del Popolo, aimed squarely at local politics. Visitors will miss most of the jokes and it is still worth seeing.

Sant'Emidio

The patronal feast on 5 August, tied to the saint venerated across Italy against earthquakes, and taken here with unusual seriousness.

Fritto misto all'ascolana

A spring festival given over entirely to the fried food the city is known for, which is more fun than it sounds.

Summer in the squares

Concerts and open-air cinema run through July and August in Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Arringo.

Two different jousts

The July edition is run in honour of the Madonna della Pace and the August one for Sant'Emidio, on the eve of his feast. They are the same contest with different dedications, and locals will tell you which of the two they prefer and why.

Market

Wednesday and Saturday mornings, in and around Piazza Arringo, and the practical event of the week for the whole Tronto valley.