I’ve known a few people who have studied abroad in major Italian cities such as Rome and Florence. So, when my friends and family would ask where I’m studying, and I’d say “Ascoli Piceno” they would awkwardly smile and nod and pretend to know where that is. To be honest, I didn’t know where it was either until I saw it on a map. Ascoli Piceno is located in the Mache region of Italy and the town has a population of about 50,000 people. Though there are a lot of people, it doesn’t feel that way. I come from a town of about 5,000 and it feels just as cozy, plus there are way more dogs here.
When I first walked around, and still today, I am overwhelmed by the beautiful symmetry and the crisp light colors of the buildings. From my apartment, it’s about a three-minute walk to Ascoli’s main piazza, Piazza del Popolo, which translates to the Piazza of the People. Here, you can find the Basilica of San Francesco and the Aedicule of Lazzaro Morelli. In the piazza, they have events almost every night. The second night there, they had a boxing arena set up and the piazza housed a competition. And most recently, the piazza was home to a renaissance parade, which is put on by the town each year and reflects Ascoli’s history.
Moreover, this town has oodles of restaurants ranging from traditional Italian to burgers to Chinese. There aren’t enough days here to try them all. Another charming aspect of Ascoli Piceno are the food stores and market. Italians typically do their food shopping at multiples places. For instance, you get your meat at the butcher, cheese from the Cheeseman, and fruits and veggies from the markets. My personal favorite store is the pasta shop, which is the only shop that is open on Sundays. Here, you can get homemade raviolis, tortellini, fresh cut noodles, and any other pasta shape you can imagine.
During our five weeks, we have visited large cities such as Bologna and Venice. There is tons to do in those cities however, coming to Ascoli feels like coming home. Frankie and I have become regulars at a coffee shop, do our grocery shopping together and attend class and it feels natural. I am definitely happy to be studying here.
Italy Adventures 