Under the....Marche Sun.

La Quintana - photo by Norma Joseph

Ascoli Piceno, Le Marche

This hilltop town's primary claims to fame are its elegant architecture in travertine marble, and the stuffed and fried olive ascolane. "To have a glass of prosecco and sit on one of the most beautiful piazzas in Italy, eating a bowl of those olives and then going on to dinner — it's really a great evening," So says Frances Mayes, author of "Under the Tuscan Sun", to USA TODAY's Monica Hortobagyi.   italia.it 

For those who know Ascoli Piceno a little better, there is so much more to it than the travertine marble and the stuffed olives. For example, La Quintana - the medieval pageant and jousting - held in mid-July and August every year.