Ripatransone

Ripatransone is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche, located about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Ancona and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Ascoli Piceno. History The hill of Ripatransone (whose name means "Rupes of Transone", a local feudatary who founded the castle here) was inhabited since prehistorical times, and was settled first by the Umbri and then the Piceni. After the Roman conquest it lost importance, regaining it in the Middle Ages when several castles were built here, being unified into a single town in 1096. In 1205 it was a free commune, existing in particular rivalry with Fermo and against Francesco Sforza. In 1571 it was given the status of City and that of diocesan see by Pope Pius V. After the Renaissance it was part of the Papal States, becoming part of unified Italy in 1860. Main sights The Cathedral (Duomo), begun in 1597 The medieval walls Monte Antico Gate Palazzo del Podestà Romanesque church of San Michele Arcangelo, with some 15th- and 16th-century paintings. Communal Palace (13th century) Palazzo Bonomi-Gera, housing the local museums Summer school In the summers of 2006 and 2007, the University of Bologna hosted an international summer school with students attending from all over Europe, along with Australia, Canada and the United States. Fifty international students travelled to Ripatransone and were absorbed into the town for two weeks. This program left many positive legacies, including a European Union-funded library and a significant boost to the local economy. In 2008, the program was moved to Queens University Belfast. Twin towns Sapri, Italy, since 1996 Zakynthos, Greece, since 1996 See also Media related to Ripatransone at Wikimedia Commons References