Illice: Church History and Regional Cycling Routes

Two themes provide clear starting points for planning a trip to Illice: the history of the Church of San Giovanni Battista and regional cycling routes. The church is located on a hill a few hundred metres from the village. Three routes include Illice in different ways: as the direction of a climb, as a place on a descent, and as a passage between other places. This lets you consider the cultural focus separately from the practical question of which route to take.

San Giovanni Battista: History and Features

The Church of San Giovanni Battista near Illice is listed in the Rationes Decimarum of 1290. The earliest parish registers of San Giovanni d’Illice date from 1618. These dates mark different historical points of reference: 1290 is when the church was recorded, while 1618 marks the earliest parish registers. Another turning point came with the series of earthquakes that began in 2016. After being severely damaged, San Giovanni d’Illice was restored and reopened in 2019. These dates therefore span the church’s medieval record and its more recent restoration history.

San Giovanni d’Illice is described as a single-nave church with a vaulted ceiling. A single-nave church has one main nave; together with the vault, this describes the building’s basic form. Its features include a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament and two paintings, each depicting Saint Francis of Paola. The chapel’s dedication and the repeated depiction of the same saint offer different ways to interpret the church’s features: one through its religious dedication, the other through the person portrayed.

San Giovanni d’Illice between Two Valleys

San Giovanni d’Illice stands on a ridge separating the Aso Valley to the north from the Fluvione Valley to the south. This broader geographical setting adds to the church’s hilltop location: the hill places the church a few hundred metres from the village, while the ridge situates San Giovanni d’Illice in relation to the two valleys. The church’s immediate location and the ridge’s wider landscape setting can therefore be considered at two different spatial scales.

Three Cycling Routes with Different Itineraries

After descending to Lago di Gerosa, the Ascoli Piceno–Montegallo route follows a 2-kilometre climb towards Illice. The distance refers to the climb. In the order described, you first descend to the lake and then climb towards Illice.

On the Roccafluvione–Lago di Gerosa route, after Croce di Casale the route passes through Illice on a descent towards Gerosa. Unlike the Ascoli Piceno–Montegallo route, which includes a climb towards Illice, this section continues downhill after Illice in the direction of Gerosa.

The Ascoli Piceno–Arquata del Tronto route passes through Illice between Polverina and Croce di Casale. Polverina and Croce di Casale are the named reference points for this section of the route. Unlike the two routes to Gerosa, where the climb or descent is a key feature, this route places Illice as a passage between two places.

Check the current route before setting out, as route information may change.

Discover more destinations: Colli Del Tronto, Montecchio, Spinetoli, Castel Di Lama, Montedinove, Montalto delle Marche, Venarotta, Monteprandone

For the main travel overview: Ascoli Piceno.