Grottammare

Grottammare is an Adriatic coastal town in the province of Ascoli Piceno, part of the stretch of coast known as the Riviera delle Palme. It has two distinct halves: the modern seafront (lungomare), with its sandy beach, palm-lined Viale Marino, and early-20th-century Art Nouveau villas around Piazza Kursaal; and the older hilltop town, Paese Alto (or Grottammare Alta), set back from the sea with medieval walls, narrow lanes, and the Church of San Giovanni Battista. The hilltop site was chosen for its defensibility against North African and Ottoman pirate raids that threatened the Adriatic coast between roughly 1500 and 1800; surviving fortifications include the Porta Marina, Porta Castello, and the Torrione della Battaglia, a battle tower built after the town was sacked in 1525 by forces of the Princes of Dulcigno. Grottammare is also the birthplace of Felice Peretti, born here in 1521, who later became Pope Sixtus V.

Grottammare sits on the Adriatic coastal railway between Ancona and Pescara, with its own station near the seafront. By road it lies just off the A14 Adriatic motorway.

The seafront lungomare is flat and walkable or cyclable; reaching Paese Alto on its hill above requires a climb or a short drive.

Paese Alto, the old hilltop town, retains its medieval walls and gates — including the Porta Marina and Porta Castello — along with the Torrione della Battaglia, a defensive tower built after a 1525 pirate raid, and the Church of San Giovanni Battista; it was also the birthplace of Pope Sixtus V. Down at the seafront, Piazza Kursaal and the palm-lined Viale Marino are lined with Art Nouveau villas from the early 20th century, and the town's sandy beach is a longstanding draw along the Riviera delle Palme.