What to see in Grottammare? Grottammare is one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy (Borghi più Belli d’Italia), in the district of Ascoli Piceno. To reach the ancient, medieval village of Grottammare you have to set Google Maps for Grottammare Alta, specifically via Sotto Le Mura, meaning Alley Under the Walls. In fact, you have you park the car along the old town walls.
From there, walk towards the fortified tower. After that, you’ll enter the village through Porta Marina (Sea Door). There are only two or three alleys so I suggest you to explore them to enjoy the picturesque corners of Grottammare.
What to see in Grottammare
The core of the village is Piazza Peretti, where you can see the Town Hall, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, which now hosts a museum of religious art, and the Arancio Theater. Its name means Orange because once there was an orange tree at the center of the square. Along the facade, there’s also a lovely Loggia with a great view of the seaside.
Wander around the village, you’ll surely find some quaint, adorable corners.
The fortress ruins
But pay attention! On top of the hill, there are the ruins of a Fortress (dating back to the IX century). If I were you, I’ll just wander around the town alleys and reach the ruins later (also possible by car) because the pedestrian street is very steep. From the park next to the ruins there’s a spectacular view of the beach and the sea. We, unfortunately, went up by foot through the alleys of the village and we found ourselves dealing with a super steep and slippery path. I had a hard time with my sandals, so Matteo had to help me a couple of times. We went back on foot but along the asphalt road. So better to go up this way. But no problem if you prefer to avoid it, cause the Loggia panoramic point is similar and requires no effort.
Torrione della Battaglia
Inside the Torrione della Battaglia (Tower of the Battle) you can visit the museum dedicated to the local sculptor Pericle Fazzini. He’s the author of the artwork Resurrection in the Nervi Hall at the Vatican. The entrance of the museum is in front of the quaint restaurant Borgo Antico in a piazzetta with an incredible view, overlooking the sea.
There we found a beautiful kitty, with a nameplate: Fata, which means Fairy. She was such a snuggly cat, something Matteo can’t resist, as you can see in the picture.
The beach of Grottammare
In the evening (Matteo has super delicate skin so we waited until 5 pm) we also spent a couple of hours at the beach of Grottammare. There are several facilities where to rent deck chairs and umbrellas. The area is well renowned for the quality of the facilities, and the beautiful lungomare, the seafront. The area in which it is located has the cute name of Riviera delle Palme, Palm Trees Coastline.
Grottammare Alta
If you want to read more about the area of Grottammare, go to the section dedicated to Le Marche!
