In its medieval heyday Ascoli held more than 200 fortified tower-houses, more even than San Gimignano. About 50 survive — most lopped down to a more practical second-storey height, but a handful still rising 30 metres or more above the rooftops. Walk Via delle Torri and you pass half a dozen close together.
The two best-preserved are the Torre Ercolani and the Torre degli Anziani; both are private but visible from the street. A self-guided walk through the Piazzarola quarter takes in the densest concentration.