The 16th-century fortress on the eastern bend of the Castellano, originally a Malatesta tower, expanded by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger into a full bastioned fort. The structure was a prison from the 19th century until the 1980s and has since been restored as an exhibition space and viewpoint.
The walk up from the Ponte di Cecco is short and steep. From the upper battlements you have the best clear view back over the centre of Ascoli — every travertine roof, every campanile.