Our last day trip of the semester and we found ourselves in the small medieval town of Ascoli Piceno. The forecast had called for rain, but we were fortunate to have a few hours of brilliant sun. From Lanciano, Ascoli Piceno is an hour and a half by car, heading north along the coast. The town is famous for its stuffed olives (olive ascolane). On weekends, Ascoli is alive with its many markets filling the piazzas.
We visited Ascoli for a couple of hours, then hit the road, heading further north to Urbino. By the time we arrived, the rain had caught up to us, making for a damp afternoon. Though my camera was not happy with the weather, I was pleased to see our students sharing umbrellas, singing, and splashing their way through town.
Urbino was the birthplace of famous Italian renaissance painter, Raphael. Today, his family home is open to the public, and we made sure not to miss the opportunity to view it.
We then had a misty walk to the Ducale Palace, followed by a tour of the inside.
