Carassai in the Piceno Area of Le March – Part II
The Last 8, but not Least, Reasons to Visit Carassai in every seasons
11. The Medieval Castle of Rocca Montevarmine
Rocca Monte Varmine, a fully preserved castle as you’ve probably only seen on film sets! It is 4 km from Carassai and dates back to the fourteenth century, with the remains of the tenth century is equipped with strong walls and a tall tower with battlements Ghibellines, crenels and embrasures. Inside, the courtyard and the Church of San Pietro. The Castle was a large fortified farm, a castle guard, not a stately home. Rocca Monte Varmine is the only castle in the Piceno that preserves whole and therefore of particular historical interest. In the last century there was found the “Bombardella manesca” dated 1341: the first known type of hand gun.
12. Church of Sant’Angelo in Piano
The church has monastic origin and its construction can be dated around the year one thousand (957). Some documents, although more than two centuries late, show that close to that church there was a monastery. The first document that traces an outline of the church, dates back to 1574. It is a big and beautiful church with a crypt with an underground church.
13. The Public Gardens
The public Carassai gardens represent one of the most beautiful places that the small town in the province of Ascoli Piceno has to offer. An ideal place for families, and especially in the summer, offers a wonderful walk among ancient trees, fragrant shrubs, green and flowery fields with an enormous peace broken by the discreet splash of the public fountain where to admire Luisella a Crinaeae a type of Naiad nymph associated with fountains, beloved by the population.
14. The Rural Cemetery Rocca Montevarmine
Until now a forgotten place, is located near Rocca Montevarmine. This small cemetery is the burial ground of the last inhabitants of the area of Rocca Montevarmine.
15. Personalities of Carassai
Amazes how Carassai, while not being today among the most famous and populated town of Italy, boasts a large number of famous people. Among the best known of the past we must surely mention Cesare Macchiati (1597-1675) the Queen Christina of Sweden’s personal physician. Among the most recent figures include Monsignor Lavinio Virgili (1902-1976), musician and composer director of the Chapel of St. John the Musical Lateran, the Papal Basilica.
16. Food
The good and tipical Le Marche cuisine of Carassai can be comfortably tasted at the four restaurants present, all with many years of activity and loyal to the local culinary tradition:
• Ristorante Il Panorama 0734.930985
• Ristorante pensione Marchetti 339.1283898
• Ristorante Agriturismo il Monticello
• Agriturismo Monticello
• La Cicala Agriturismo
• Agriturismo La Cicala
Talking about sweets we must think about the known local artisans.
Famous is the ricotta cheesecake, the brutti e buoni, i funghetti di Offida, the castagnacci, the tarts, the cakes the famous exceptional maritozzi to enjoy with Nutella and fresh cream.
Here are the references:
Martinangeli e Concetti di Pignotti Franco & C. (0734 930015)
Pasticceria Porrà Zefferino (0734 930058)
Pasticceria Porra Bruno (0734 930915)
Il forno di Ada di Lanciotti (0734 930540)
The typical Carassanese production reach its peak with the Sausage Queen, the same that is the protagonist, in the second week of August, of the famous festival of grilled sausage, which is crowded by late 1972 by Italian and foreign tourists.
The Carassanese sausage is the daughter of a long tradition of processing of pork and is achieved by carefully selecting bacon, ham, shoulder, fillet, dosing salt and spices up to the cooking by the heat of the embers of aromatic woods.
To purchase this delicacy and other specialties
Salumificio Federici www.salumificiofederici.it
17. Wines
Carassai boasts a large planted area and several wine producers whose products are easily available in all the territory Restaurants. Worth mentioning are the productions of DOCG Offida Passerina, Offida Pecorino DOCG, IGT Marche Rosso, wines able to cross the borders of the peninsula to arrive in the faraway China. Among the wines you can not miss the opportunity to buy directly from the producer one of the 20 Tre Bicchieri 2017 Gambero Rosso of Le Marche. Selected wines prized and inserted inside the prestigious guide. We are talking about the Offida Rosso Vignagiulia 2013 Dianetti
• Le Canà www.lecana.it
• Collevite www.collevite.com
• Vinicola Carassanese www.vinicolacarassanese.it
• Montevarmine www.montevarmine.it
• Vini Polini www.vinipolini.it
• Dianetti www.dianettivini.it
18. Events
Carassai hosts “Feste”, “Sagre” and Religious Celebrations from Spring to Christmas. During the summer Carassai compete with neighbouring villages in throwing the best party.
The Summer Carassai Events allow the visitor to sample local produce, food and wines:
• Fair of Sant’Angelo (May 6)
• St. Barnabas Day (June 11)
• Festival of the tagliatella con la papera (August)
• Festival of the Grilled Sausage (one week around August the 15th)
• Festa del Voto (last Sunday of August)
