San Benedetto del Tronto

San Benedetto del Tronto is the most southerly coastal municipality in the Marche region.

Also known as the Riviera delle Palme, and later extended to the neighbouring resorts along the coast, it attracts visitors from all over Italy and Europe. It is one of the main tourist resorts in the Marche region, thanks to its wide sandy beaches framed by the fascinating backdrop of palm trees and oleanders, capable of evoking marvellous exotic scenery.

Seaside tourism offer

The promenade is bordered by lush gardens, a pine forest, tennis courts, a skating rink and a building, the Palazzina Azzurra, the town's historic venue, at the mouth of the Albula river, which marks the end of the first section, south of which the more properly tourist area begins, with bathing establishments on the beach on one side and villas and hotels on the other side of the road.

What makes the beaches of San Benedetto del Tronto child-friendly are the fine sand, suitable for building castles and digging holes, and the shallow waters particularly suitable for diving in with swimming armbands or on an inflatable. Also worth mentioning is the Giardino Zio Marcello, located in front of the public beach (between concessions 36 and 37), a large green area with children's games.

The promenade is also characterised by the presence of no less than 8,000 palm trees of various species and numerous relaxation areas, children's playgrounds and thematic gardens, the oases: arid garden, wet garden, palm garden, rose garden, and Mediterranean scrub garden.

A wide cycle path runs uninterrupted along the beach for more than 15 km, as far as Cupra Marittima; to the south, the path reaches as far as Via del Mare in Porto d'Ascoli.

The town has a marina, a fishing port and one of the most important wholesale fish markets in Italy.

North of the mouth of the Tronto River is the Sentina Nature Reserve, which is characterised not only by the migration of birdlife, but also by a stretch of sandy beach with an undeveloped hinterland.

What to visit

San Benedetto del Tronto has always been closely linked to the sea and the tradition of seafaring. The Polo Museale del Mare includes the Museum of Maritime Civilisation of the Marche, the Amphorae Museum, the Fish Museum and the Antiquarium Truentinum. The Sea Art Gallery, opened in April 2009, although located in the heart of the old town, is an integral part of the thematic museum centre dedicated to the sea that the municipal administration has set up at the Fish Market. Also interesting is MAM, Museo d'Arte sul Mare, a permanent open-air museum, which stretches along the south quay and houses 145 works of art, of which 135 sculptures and 10 large murals. The town has an ancient centre (the high town) a short distance from the sea, at the foot of which lies the marina, the fishing village that developed from the 18th century onwards. The old town is characterised by the 14th-century hexagonal Torre dei Gualtieri; the tower, whose clock marks each hour of the day, and is the symbol of the town.

Among the most attractive tourist sites are: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, the Cathedral of Santa Maria della Marina, the Church of San Giuseppe, the Bishop's Palace, the Palazzina Azzurra, the Concordia Municipal Theatre, the Lighthouse.

The typical dish of San Benedetto del Tronto is brodetto alla sambenedettese, a fish soup, with the addition of peppers and vinegar.

Some of the most significant events that take place in San Benedetto del Tronto throughout the year include: the L'Antico e le Palme market-exhibition, which attracts Italian and foreign antique dealers and collectors; the Festa della Madonna della Marina, which takes place on the last Sunday of July and consists of a procession at sea with fishing boats; the Libero Bizzarri Prize, one of the most renowned competitions in the field of documentary cinema at national level; Anghiò, the International Festival of Blue Fish.