Ascoli Piceno — the piazza made entirely of travertine and the fried olive that conquered Italy

Piazza del Popolo is paved, walled, and arcaded entirely in travertine marble — a Renaissance square so unified in material and proportion that architectural historians compare it favorably to Siena's Piazza del Campo. On a Saturday morning, the piazza fills with an aperitivo crowd drinking Anisetta Meletti (the local anise liqueur, produced since 1870, served with a coffee bean — caffè anisetta) while eating olive ascolane — the dish Ascoli gave to Italy: large green olives stuffed with a meat mixture, breaded, and deep-fried. Crispy outside, savory-olive inside. €5-8 for a plate. Every bar in the piazza serves them. The town has 50+ medieval towers (most truncated to rooftop level), a Roman bridge still in use, and a total tourist count that makes it feel like a secret you shouldn't be telling anyone. Marche is Italy's hidden region. Ascoli is its hidden capital.