I. A city (anc. Asculum Picenum) of central Italy, capital of the province of Ascoli Piceno, on the right bank of the Tronto, 18 m. "W. of the Adriatic and 87 m. N". E. of Rome; pop. about 11,000. It is well built, and has a citadel, a Jesuit college, a museum, library, and a number of private palaces. Its harbor, Porto d'Ascoli, at the mouth of the Tronto, is defended by two forts, and is frequented by coasting vessels.

II. Ascoli Piceno, a province of central Italy, formerly belonging to the papal territory, and now constituting one of the four provinces of the Marches; area, 808 sq. m.; pop. in 1872, 203,009. Part of the province is traversed by branches of the Apennines and by numerous valleys watered by the Tenna, Aso, Tesino, Tronto, and other rivers. The chief products are corn, wine, oil, honey, silks, wool, and fish.

III. Ascoli di Satriano (anc. Asculum Apulum), a town of S. Italy, in the province of Capitanata, situated on the E. slope of the Apennines, 65 m. E. X. E. of Naples; pop. about 6,000. Near it Pyrrhus in 279 B. C. gained a great victory over the Romans; and in 1190 Count Andrea, general of the emperor Henry VI., was defeated here by Tancred and slain. The ancient town was on a branch of the Appian way, and considerable remains exist outside the modern town.