Small town located in the hinterland of San Benedetto del Tronto, Acquaviva Picena stands on a hill from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view up to the mountains of the Apennines: the Vettore, the Gran Sasso and the Maiella.The village features the fortress, a real masterpiece of Renaissance military architecture, whose first construction dates back to the fourteenth century by Acquaviva family nobles. It was then rebuilt in 1474 by architect Baccio Pontelli.
The plan is an irregular quadrangle, enclosing a large central courtyard with a well, with the tops strengthened by pinnacle towers. The highest tower, the keep, has a cylindrical shape and is about 22 m high. The interior, which is occupied by two vaulted rooms which are linked by a masonry staircase, now houses an interesting exhibition of ancient weapons. At the foot of the fortress is the square of the Fort, which gives it a theatrical parterre with low buildings arranged in a semicircle.
The square of S. Nicholas is the hub of the old town, arranged in an elongated shape between two opposite hills; upon it the homonymous sixteenth century church, Casa Rossi Panelli and the Civic Tower rise. Outside the old town, the Church of San Francesco with the adjoining convent is the oldest Franciscan foundation of the whole region, established by the same S. Francesco d’ Assisi upon invitation of the Acquaviva family. The traditional activity of the village is the production of straw baskets, carried out according to a method handed down from generation to generation.
