The town's name honors in the first part, the goddess Cupra, a deity of Picena origins, who represented the equivalent of Venus to the Romans. Coastal town in the province of Ascoli Piceno, which is characterized by a clear distinction of the each domination as the various settlements never overlapped each other. It is possible to clearly distinguish the different areas: Prehistoric, Roman, Middle Ages and at present is divided between Cupra Alta, a village surrounded by fortified walls and square towers of the XV century, and a modern district with pine forest and a beautiful beach promenade. It also features a fantastic cycling path of 3 km, that connects Cupra to Grottammare.
The surrounding area was inhabited since the Paleolithic Ages: prehistoric traces, in fact, evidence the presence of settlements since the Neolithic and the Bronze Ages. The town was founded by the Piceni (an ancient Italic population) in the period between the VII and V centuries B.C. The Romans have also left considerable traces of their presence. After the fall of Western Roman Empire, the territory was invaded by the Barbarians, and submitted the domination of the Byzantines, Lombards, Franks and Arabs. During the Middle Ages the inhabitants that lived in the Roman district moved to the hill Marano and created a new town center. In the IX century it submitted several raids and was often plundered and at a certain point, completely destroyed.
Attractions:
- the Church of Santa Maria in Castello, built in brick in 1330, features valuable frescoes dating from between the XIV and the XVI centuries;
- the Church of Santa Maria della Petrella in Gothic style with frescoes of the XV and XVI centuries;
- the Parish Church of St. Basso, built in 1887 and houses a triptych of the artist Crivelli;
- the Church of the Annunziata which features a permanent Nativity scene;
- the XVIII century Church of the Suffrage;
- the Roman Archaeological Site with remains of the Roman defensive walls, part of the forum, the Podium of Capitolium and other important ruins;
- the Medieval Archaeological Site with the ruins of the XIII century Castle of St. Andrea, which today is an open-air theater;
- the XII century Castle of Marano;
- Villa Cellini in Neo-Gothic style;
- Villa Vinci in Liberty style;
- Palazzo Brancadoro;
- the Malacological Exhibition with its rich collection of shells.