Chiostro Maggiore Ascoli Piceno Italy
Ascoli Piceno

Chiostro Maggiore e Chiostro Minore di San Francesco


The Merchants' Loggia was erected in 1500 following the drawing of Cola dell'Amatrice and carried out by Bernardino di Pietro da Carona and Francesco Rubei, upon commission by the rich Corporazione della Lana - the Wool Guild. The portico with its elegant and slim features is placed against the Church of San Francesco. and it represents one of the most beautiful architectural ornaments in town. Its sides have broad arches, whilst the front part has five spacious arches placed on Corinthian columns with adherent foliage capitals. The final cornice is short and a brick battlement was successively juxtaposed to it. Various local units of measure, dating 3 October 1568, are sculptured on the internal wall.
The major Cloister and the minor Cloister
On the northern side of the Church of San Francesco can be found the major Cloister and the minor Cloister, the latter incorporated into the Ina Palace with the entrance in Via Ceci 7 (1935). The major Cloister, commonly known as Piazza della Verdura because of vegetable markets held there every day, was built between 1565 and 1623, whilst the minor Cloister is older and dates back to the thirteenth century. In the major Cloister we find 20 arches all in order on Corinthian columns. In the center there is an octagonal well in Gothic style with small spiral columns. The older minor Cloister has 22 arches with a well, octagonally-shaped, too, in the centre bearing on a plaque the Gothic writing: Quisto pozio a factu fare lo Jovanne de Pela. The inscritpion is not dated, but the style of characters and the form of letters permit the attribution of the well and Cloister to the thirteenth century, from which it was once possible to enter the Church of San Francesco by means of an ogival portico.

Go To Virtual Tour of Ascoli Piceno