The State Archaeological Museum of Ascoli Piceno is the starting point for learning about the history of the Ascoli area; through its collections, it shows a story spanning 130,000 years, from the Paleolithic to the Roman age. Its three sections (prehistoric, Picene and Roman) occupy the three levels of the Renaissance Palazzo Panichi, built at the beginning of the sixteenth century, incorporating older buildings. The Palace occupies part of the northern side of the central Piazza Arringo, in constant dialogue with the main buildings of the city: the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Palazzo dell'Arengo.