A short wandering outside the historic center of Ascoli Piceno stands the Forte Malatesta, which defended the Castellano river. Right to the west of it is the Cecco Bridge, a Roman work completed during the last period of the Republic. The bridge was bombed by Germans during WWII, and was reconstructed using original materials in 1971.

The bridge was one of Italy’s many “devil’s bridges”, constructed in a single night with the help of the devil, according to local legend. The design of the fort you see today, built over previous forts, carries the signature of Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane. The Renaissance fortified architecture makes it one of the more spectacular castles in Italy.