This harmonious piazza has been Ascoli's salotto (drawing room) since Roman times. The elegant rectangular space is flanked by the Chiesa di San Francesco and, on the west, the 13th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo. The 'Captain's Palace' served as the seat of the city's Pontifical Governors for centuries and today houses municipal offices and temporary art exhibitions. The statue of Pope Paul III above the main entrance was erected in recognition of his efforts to bring peace to the town.