Cupra Marittima
The ancient goddess Cupra
The northernmost resort of the Riviera delle Palme, famous for its range of cosmetics but also for the Malacological Museum, a collection of shells from all over the world, which can boast as many as 700,000 items including the huge Tridacna gigas. The area was sacred for the ancient Etruscan-Piceno goddess “Cupra” and was an important Roman port. Witnesses of this past are kept in the Marano Museo del Territorio (Heritage Museum), which, separated from the more recent Cupra, has remained extraordinarily intact in its medieval structure. Delightful are the walls dating back to the days of the Sforza family, adorned with the greenery of the palm and pine trees, the remains of the fortress, the solitary and steep roads and the ancient buildings. The ancient Roman town, mainly developed during the first two centuries of the empire, stood on the nearby hill of Civita, an area that is now organised in a large archaeological park, and in the neighbouring San Basso hillside, where powerful constructions are the remains of the ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Cupra. About 500 metres to the south of the built-up area stands the hill with the medieval castle of St. Andrew, an ancient fortress that served for sighting and defence. Its ruins are silhouetted sheer above the sea. The view from this point is quite simply breathtaking.
Grottammare
The Pearl of the Adriatic Sea
The pearl of the Adriatic Sea, a joy of colours and fragrances, is the second resort of the Riviera delle Palme, celebrated for over three centuries for the beauty of its landscape and for the rich historical and cultural memories it jealously treasures.
The south seafront is crossed pedalling along the cycling-pedestrian track, enhanced by decorated fountains and original roundabouts that extend onto the beach. The track continues northwards on Viale Marino, where the palm trees and the porphyry and Carrara marble paving offer an ideal frame to the Art Nouveau style villas built in the early twentieth century. Grottammare is overlooked by the old town centre clinging to the hillside, a fascinating medieval village with its precious monuments, besides the historical Teatro dell’Arancio (Arancio Theatre) and the Pericle Fazzini Museum. Piazza Peretti, the secret heart of the citadel, opens onto a splendid open gallery that offers a magnificent view over the sea and coast.
San Benedetto del Tronto
Exotically close
It offers a decidedly exotic landscape, featuring thousands of palm trees alternated with variegated oleanders. Going along the 5 km of seafront, one of the most beautiful and suggestive in Europe, you can fully understand why this place has always been defined as the “Riviera delle Palme.”
The original nucleus of the seaside town dates back to the 17th century, while it is in the “upper town” that this dynamic tourist resort finds its historical dimension with its two oldest monuments, the remarkable Torre dei Gualtieri (Gualtieri Tower) in the shape of a ship’s bow and the Abbey of St. Benedict, built on the site of the original tomb of the Christian martyr Benedict (October 13th, 304 a.c.)
Visiting the Fish Museum, the Museum of Maritime Civilisation and the beautiful collection of antique Roman amphorae as well as the fishing port with annexed tourist harbour, it is clear how important the sea has been here.
Many sporting facilities, a palm cycling track, an indoor stadium, a conference centre, a busy schedule of events and occasions for entertainment as well as lots of possible trips to the Piceno area hinterland, make San Benedetto an ideal place that can arouse deep and pleasing emotions.
Cupra Marittima
The ancient goddess Cupra
Grotttammare
The Pearl of the Adriatic Sea
San Benedetto del Tronto
Exotically close
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