A jewel of the province of Ascoli Piceno , Grottammare is called the "Pearl of the Adriatic" overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Boasting also an interesting historic core, it is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
There are many things to see in Grottammare but here are the top 10 attractions to discover, many of which are also suggested by TripAdvisor.
The Churches :
La St. Martin's Church : it is among the oldest abbeys in the province of Ascoli Piceno. Founded by Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Farfa and dating from the 10th century, it preserves a 12th-13th century fresco depicting Our Lady of Milk.
La Church of St. Augustine instead, another historic church, guards at its inside a fresco by Vincenzo Pagani and some panels of the Crivellesque school.
Also not to be missed is the Church of Santa Maria dei Monti, known as Oasis of Grottammare, which is located on the top of a hill about 400 meters west of the ancient village. Among the works of art inside the church are a fresco by James Pacchiarotti, and a portrait of St. Francis by Guercino from Cento.
Sistine Museum:
The museum is housed in the parish church of St. John the Baptist, with splendid views of the coastline below. The medieval building, rebuilt by architect Pietro Maggi between 1792 and 1809, was decorated in 1911 by San Benedetto painter Giuseppe Pauri. A unique object in terms of beauty and history is the chalice for liturgical celebrations that Sixtus V bequeathed to his home town. It is the most important work in the collection, enclosed in a shrine placed in the back of the nave.
Grottammare Castle:
The building of the Grottammare Castle dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. To reach it, it is recommended to walk through the beautiful old village and up to the top where the ruins of the fortress can be seen.
Orange Theater:
The Teatro dell'Arancio is one of seventy-three historic theaters in the Marche region, sixteen of which are located in the province of Ascoli Piceno. In fact, since the end of the 18th century the Marche region has been affected by a widespread diffusion of theaters, involving not only large but also small towns.
The Peretti Square Theater derives its name from the orange plant placed in the center of the square and guarded by a municipal appointee, chosen each year from among the town's families and compensated with exemption from the family tax.
De Gasperi waterfront:
The locality is ideal for sports enthusiasts; in particular, the wide bicycle path, which for some stretches is close to the sea, connects it to the south with San Benedetto del Tronto-Porto d'Ascoli and to the north with Cupra Marittima and Pedaso, for a total of about 20 km.
Boy with seagulls:
It is a sculpture by Pericle Fazzini, where in Grottammare itself vide a boy collecting shells, with seagulls circling overhead, and years later created a beautiful sculpture.
Beaches:
La beach of Grottammare is characterized by shallow and safe seabeds, and it is no coincidence that the Marche center has been awarded, in addition to the FEE Blue Flag, the Green Flag granted to child-friendly beaches.
Tower Museum:
The museum houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the approximately two hundred and thirty works, created by sculptor Pericle Fazzini. Inside you can admire gold, silver, bronzes, drawings, lithographs and objects of documentary value.
Dream Point 43rd Parallel:
The Dream Point consists of a 35-quintal sculpture of Ascoli travertine, representing the globe with a "G" (which stands for Grottammare) in the center through which the sea is observed. The brainchild of Marcello Iezzi , as he delved deeper into the subject, he identified the cities of the world crossed by this same parallel, making truly surprising discoveries, such as the fact that that imaginary thread also passes through Santiago de Compostela, Lourdes, Assisi and Medjugorie.
Dreamworld:
During the Christmas season, a visit to the largest luminaria in the Piceno region cannot be missed. Inaugurated in Kursaal Square, DreamWorld is an art installation, representing a large globe that can be walked through by visitors who wish to get excited, crossing the imaginary line of the 43rd Parallel. The structure weighs 250 kilograms, to which must be added 410 kilograms of pedestal and 270 kilograms of ballast to ensure its stability. More than 9,000 LED lights were used to illuminate it.
