Asti (Ast in Piedmontese) is an Italian town of 75 528
inhabitants, the capital of the Piedmontese province of the same
name and former capital of the ancient Astesana, today more commonly
defined as Asti. It is the fourth largest municipality in the region
by number of inhabitants and the sixth by area. Roman "Municipium"
known as Hasta, it was the seat of the Duchy of Asti, the Longobard
Duchy of Neustria. Free commune in the Middle Ages, with the right
to "coin money", it was one of the most important commercial centers
between the 12th and 13th centuries, when its merchants developed
trade and credit throughout Europe.
It is known all over the
world for its wines, in particular Asti spumante: every year, in
September, one of the most important wine competitions in Italy is
held here, called the Douja d'Or. Also famous is his historic Palio,
one of the oldest events in Italy, which takes place in September
and culminates with a horse race mounted "a pelo" (without saddle).
In recent years, the Festival of the Asti festivals has also
assumed considerable importance at national level, a food and wine
event held in Asti the week following the Palio di Asti, where over
40 pro loco of the province of Asti offer their gastronomic from
Asti DOCG wines, in a large open-air restaurant, now the destination
of thousands and thousands of people coming for the occasion from
all over Italy.
The railway station is located south of the historic centre, a few
hundred meters from it. Leaving the station, going straight along the
square in front, Piazza Marconi, you arrive in Via Cavour which leads to
Piazza San Secondo, a pedestrian area, where the Church of the city's
patron saint and the Town Hall stand. Turning right into Via Garibaldi,
you arrive in Piazza Alfieri. Exactly opposite, under the arcades of the
more modern Palazzo della Provincia, is the tourist office
(tel:+390141530357). If, on the other hand, you cross Piazza San
Secondo, then take Via Palazzo di Città or Via Gobetti, you reach Corso
Alfieri: the most important and well-known street in the city, the
Contrada Maestra, formerly the decumanus maximus from the Roman era,
which crosses it from east to west. From here, going to the right you
reach Piazza Alfieri and continuing along the course you arrive, after
about 800 m, which can be covered in about ten minutes, at the Complex
of the Baptistery of San Pietro. If, on the other hand, you cross the
Corso and take Via Della Valle, after just 50 m you reach Piazza Medici,
where the Troyana Tower stands. Turning left along the Corso instead,
after about 300 m you arrive in Piazza Roma. A little further on, on the
right, is Palazzo Mazzetti, which houses the Pinacoteca. After about
fifty metres, on the opposite side of the street, is Palazzo Ottolenghi,
seat of the Museum of the Risorgimento, and continuing, after another
150 metres, you arrive at the birthplace of Vittorio Alfieri, located on
the corner with Piazza Cairoli, from which Via Caracciolo starts which
ends in Piazza della Cattedrale. Continuing along Corso Alfieri we
arrive at the Torre Rossa, which marked the ancient western limit of the
Roman city.
Neighborhoods
The city is divided into 6 "Rioni" -
the districts within the first circle of the ancient thirteenth-century
walls called the "enclosure of the nobles" - and into 8 "Borghi",
originally included within the second circle of the fourteenth-century
walls called " city walls". These 14 entities, each with its own statute
and order, participate in the social and religious life of the city
which culminates in the patronal celebrations of San Secondo and in the
race of the ancient Palio.
Parking lots
1 Piazza Campo del
Palio (Partly usable on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the weekly market.
Not usable, at the beginning of May, on the day of the Asti Fair, on the
second Sunday of September for the Festival delle Sagre and in case of
other events.) . free.
2 Piazza Alfieri (Not usable on Wednesdays and
Saturdays for the weekly market, during the Palio period for setting up
the track and grandstands and in the case of other events.). for a fee.
3 Former Barracks "Colli di Felizzano", Corso Alfieri (Convenient for
visiting the Complex of the Baptistery of San Pietro. In front of the
University headquarters.). Paid, and partly free. Entrances from Corso
Alfieri, Via Bocca and Via Arò.
4 Babilano, near Piazza Leonardo Da
Vinci. free parking / and with a parking disc.
5 Piazza d'Armi, Viale
Pilone. free parking.
6 former Way Assauto area, Corso Pietro Chiesa.
free parking.
7 Piazza San Giuseppe and surrounding areas. toll
parking.
8 Municipal Swimming Pool Parking, Via Gerbi. free parking.
9 Urban Cemetery, Viale Don Bianco. free parking.
10 Lidl
supermarket, Corso Venezia 93. free parking.
11 Pam supermarket,
Corso Torino 30. free parking.
12 Esselunga supermarket, Corso Ivrea.
free parking.
13 Esselunga supermarket, Corso Casale 319. free
parking.
Asti has numerous monuments of historical and artistic interest from
different eras and various possible itineraries, in the city and in
nature. The local cuisine, based on traditional dishes, and the local
wines make your stay even more pleasant, which can last just one day,
for those with little time, or several days to learn more about what the
area has to offer and relax in one of the many farmhouses in the Asti
countryside.
Churches
1 Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, ☎
+39 0141 592924. Free admission. 8:30-12:00 and 15:00-17:30. The
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Gottardo is the main place of
Catholic worship in Asti, located in Piazza Cattedrale. One of the
largest churches in Piedmont, it is the highest expression of Gothic
architecture in the region and is one of the most significant examples
of Lombard Gothic in all of northern Italy. It is probable that its
first construction dates back to the V-VI century. In 1095, following
the fire of 1070 which caused the collapse of the building, the new
Romanesque-Lombard style cathedral was consecrated by Pope Urban II.
Between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the building was
enlarged and completed by enriching it with various works, including the
grandiose side portal in flamboyant Gothic style. In the following
centuries the building underwent various alterations, linked to the
stylistic fashions of the moment, which altered the purity of the Gothic
style. Inside are the central altar by Benedetto Alfieri (15th-16th
century), various works by Guglielmo Caccia known as Moncalvo (16th-17th
century) and by Gandolfino da Roreto, including the Madonna of the
"Banker" and the Marriage of the Virgin (16th century).
2 Church of
Santa Caterina, Corso Alfieri 424, ☎ +39 0141 592428. Admission free..
The current building of the Church of Santa Caterina, built on the site
of the Romanesque church of San Secondo della Torre Rossa, dates back to
the 18th century. and is dedicated to the cult of St. Catherine of
Alexandria. In Baroque style, with neoclassical elements, it has a
terracotta and lime plaster facade, with a triangular tympanum supported
by Corinthian columns. Four chapels radiate out from the oval plan. The
large painting depicting Saint Catherine, Saint Second and the seven
founding saints of the Servite Order in the presence of the Virgin is
valuable. In the center rises the dome and the cupola, which reaches a
height of 35 meters.
3 Church of San Paolo, Via XX Settembre (near
Via Cavour), ☎ +39 0141 53477. admission free. The Church of San Paolo
stands in Via XX Settembre, the ancient Contrada Carrera, in the
district of the same name. In Baroque style, it was built by the
Filippini Fathers at the end of the 1700s near an ancient 13th century
church, formerly dedicated to Saint Paul. The facade is in terracotta
and has a tympanum supported by four pilasters. The interior, with a
single nave, is enriched by a fresco from the end of the 18th century by
Carlo Gorzio from Moncalvo depicting the conversion of Saint Paul, by
the canvas of the Virgin of the Rosary, probably a work of the Moncalvo
school, by the wooden sculptural group of Sant'Anna and Mary as a child
attributed to Giovan Battista Bonzanigo, as well as from the 16th
century sculptural group of Jesus crucified, with Mary and Saint John,
coming from the ancient church.
4 Church of San Martino, Piazza San
Martino, ☎ +39 0141 557185. admission free. The parish church dedicated
to S. Martino, bishop of Tours, stands on the square of the same name,
one of the most beautiful Baroque spaces in the city. Already mentioned
in an exchange of goods in 886 AD, it was considered the third most
important church in Asti, after the Cathedral and the Collegiate Church
of San Secondo. Over the centuries it has undergone various passages
between religious orders and numerous modifications, up to the end of
the 1600s, when the fourteenth-century building, with three naves, was
demolished and rebuilt in Baroque style with a single nave, a large
presbytery area and numerous side chapels. Inside, noteworthy are the
frescoes by Giovanni Carlo Aliberti, the beautiful eighteenth-century
wooden crucifix on the high altar, probably the work of the Bonzanigo
workshop in Asti, and the valuable sacristy with eighteenth-century
walnut furnishings, the work of Antonio Manzone. The 14th century bell
tower, the only remaining building of the ancient church, was raised by
one floor in the second half of the 1700s.
5 Church of San Silvestro,
Via F. Morelli 13 (near Piazza Medici), ☎ +39 0141 530760. admission
free. The Church of San Silvestro rises in the district of the same
name, one of the oldest in the city. Its origins date back to the first
decades of the 11th century and it is dedicated to Pope San Silvestro.
Over the centuries it has undergone numerous changes, up to the
reconstruction in the second half of the 19th century, in Baroque style,
which led it to be like we see it today. Inside it is possible to admire
many frescoes, including those of Michelangelo Pittatore.
6 Church of
San Rocco. The Church of San Rocco rises in the village of the same
name, to the left of the old gate of San Martino, in place of a smaller
church in the ancient contrada dei filanti. The current building, dating
back to 1720, was built on a project by the architect Carlo Giulio
Quadri and is in Baroque style. The interior has a single large nave
with a dome and side chapels which house numerous works including Christ
at the Column by C.G. Plura, life-size wooden statue. Over the centuries
the Church has undergone various damages and restorations: in 1793 it
was chosen as a place to house the French soldiers prisoners, in 1800 it
was used by the Austrian troops, while in 1943 and 1994 it was hit by
two floods. The church was the seat of the Battuti Verdi confraternity.
7 Confraternity Church of the SS. Trinity and Sant'Evasio, Via Cavour.
Free admission. The church of the Confraternity of the Santissima
Trinità and Sant'Evasio stands on a pre-existing medieval building and
the current appearance dates back to the Baroque modifications of the
second half of the 1700s and to the alterations of 1851. The interior,
with a single nave, with a barrel ceiling and with two side chapels, it
has numerous frescoes from the 18th century, while among the statues the
one of the Redeemer by Bonzanigo stands out. The church is still the
headquarters of the Confraternity of the Battuti Rossi, the only one
still active in Asti. Born before 1570, the confraternity also took care
of the adjacent hospital of the Pellegrini di Sant'Evasio. In memory of
the ancient paliophile tradition of the brotherhood, documented in 1648,
during the period of the Palio (third Sunday of September), an ex voto
painting dated 1677 is exhibited, which represents the oldest
iconographic representation of the "long race", i.e. the Palio that took
place along the Contrada Maestra, the current Corso Alfieri.
8 Church
of the Consolata, V. Orphanage on the corner with V. Hope. Free
admission. The church of San Teobaldo, known as della Consolata, stands
a short distance from the church of S. Silvestro, next to the former
Cistercian monastery, which in 1803 became the home of orphans and today
houses a nursery school. Documents of 1801 by S.G. Engraved speak of the
existing complex in the seventeenth century. In the first half of the
1700s, the monastery was rebuilt in Baroque style and the interior,
which still retains the eighteenth-century staircase leading to the
upper floors, was totally modified in the 19th century. The church too
underwent remodeling in the eighteenth century, acquiring the currently
visible neoclassical façade, while the building and bell tower were
restored in 1995. The interior with a single nave, with a barrel ceiling
and two side chapels, has a valuable rococo style altar.
9 Collegiate
Church of San Secondo, Piazza San Secondo, ☎ +39 0141 530066. Mon-Sun
10:45-12:00 and 15:30-17:30. The Collegiate Church of San Secondo is one
of the most important Romanesque-Gothic examples in all of Piedmont.
Located in the homonymous square in the heart of the city. the basilica
is dedicated to San Secondo, the patron saint of the city, whose bones
are contained in the sixteenth-century reliquary located inside the
crypt. On 25 September 1993 it was visited by John Paul II. The facade
is austere, in line with medieval architecture, even if its construction
dates back to the fifteenth century. Suggestive are the pinnacles and
the wrought iron cross, evidence of the nineteenth-century restorations.
The interior is presented as a unitary environment without further
stylistic additions. Of particular value are some paintings by
Gandolfino d'Asti (the adoration of the magi) and the wooden crucifix
placed on the altar, the work of Giuseppe Badarello. Also noteworthy is
a Madonna of the rosary from the Moncalvo school. Of great value is the
choir, whose stalls are in carved walnut from the 17th century (work
signed by Bonzanigo and dated 1702). The last restoration dates back to
1980 by the Mascioni family.
Medieval buildings
10 Palazzo Catena, Via XX Settembre 16 (not far
from the Church of S. Paolo). Palazzo Catena is one of the oldest
buildings in Asti: it dates back to the medieval period and is said to
have been inhabited by Iginia d'Asti, protagonist of the homonymous
tragedy by Silvio Pellico. Historians from Asti do not agree on the
succession of the various owners: in 1815, canon Incisa attributes the
property to the Solaros, while Gabiani, in 1900, speaks of ownership by
the Catena family, hence the name of the building, and finally further
studies from 2004 point to yet other owners. From an architectural point
of view it has two orthogonal arms, the older one (XXIII century) inside
and the one parallel to V. XX Settembre, obtained from pre-existing
buildings, joined by a tower. The facade has a typical "ogival" entrance
with four frames in alternating "cotto" and sandstone and a sumptuous
cornice of terracotta tiles simulating trilobed arches, and bearing
zodiac, astrological and apotropaic symbols, unique for the city. The
tower corresponding to about a third of the facade on the east side,
towards the church of S. Paolo, most likely had mullioned windows, but
during the 15th century it was "lowered" and "uniformed" to the rest of
the building.
Currently on the ground floor of the building is "La
vie en rose", a Provençal furniture and gift shop, with an adjoining
restaurant (reserved for members), from which it is possible to admire
architectural details from the medieval era of the building.
The
building is privately owned.
11 Palazzo Zoya, Via Carducci 65.
Palazzo Zoya is a fine example of a stronghold, which belonged to the
Zoya family, who developed the house-making business in the 1300s in
Savoy and for this activity they underwent a lawsuit for usury in 1356.
The The building was born from the unification, at the end of the 1200s,
of other pre-existing medieval buildings, which were joined together and
raised by one floor. Six large single-lancet windows were built, three
of which are decorated in terracotta and alternating bricks. In the 16th
century the noble floor was restructured, with the raising of the vaults
and the painting of the wooden ceilings according to the Renaissance
canons and the loggia with a double order of arches was built
internally. The central portal dates back to the seventeenth century
while the lower side openings gave access in the Middle Ages to the
"fondaco", the large basement rooms that served as warehouses in
merchant residences. The terracotta cornice on the facade is valuable.
12 Palazzo del Podestà (Town Hall), via Incisa at the corner with via
dei Cappellai (at piazza San Secondo, after the Lo Stregatto bar). The
Palazzo del Podestà is among the most beautiful medieval buildings, its
name derives erroneously from Gabiani who, having documented himself on
the writings of canon Incisa, considered the palace as the residence of
the podestà in the communal era, who in reality lived either in private
houses or in the Casa del Popolo, next to the Collegiate Church of S.
Secondo. Built in the 13th century, probably as the third municipal
building, after the one built near the cathedral and the one next to the
Collegiate Church of S. Secondo, corresponding to the current Palazzo
Civico, it was used as a warehouse for the "saint market" and a
representative office. when many of the functions of the city were moved
to today's Piazza S. Secondo, then also the market square. In the 15th
and 16th centuries it was the seat of the municipality. In the
eighteenth century it housed the secretariat of the Notary College,
hence the name Palazzo dei Notai. From 1810 it ceased to be municipal
property. From an architectural point of view, it has the typical
structure of a stronghold, even if the current appearance is affected by
the numerous modifications undergone by the initial medieval
construction. It is a massive quadrilateral with a trapezoidal base with
a basement and three raised floors from different periods. The latter,
in fact, derives from the raising of the battlements and the
construction of the roof. On the ground floor it has single-lancet
windows, while on the noble floor there are mullioned windows. Two round
arched entrances, with a two-tone white-red ring, allowed entry into the
building. Inside, a sturdy square brick pillar supports the cross
vaults. The basement, which according to Bera, must have served as a
warehouse for the municipality's salt or grain, is now occupied by the
Il Podestà restaurant.
13 Palazzo Antichi Tribunali, on the east
corner between Piazza San Secondo and Piazza Statuto. Its construction
dates back to the first half of the thirteenth century, even if the
historical information is very scarce. The palace was the seat of trials
in judicial disputes and, most likely, also of prisons. Together with
the Municipality complex located opposite, it constituted the area of
the institutional buildings of the city. Of the original structure, the
porch remains, albeit much altered, and two floors with large windows
decorated in terracotta and sandstone.
14 Palazzo Verasis-Asinari,
Via Natta 22. The building dates back to the 14th century and was part
of a larger building complex of Gothic architecture, including Via
Cattedrale, Via Giobert, Via Natta and Via Milliavacca, of the Recinto
dei Nobili. The sandstone and brick building featured a tower, which is
no longer visible, to the left of the door. On the noble floor there are
Renaissance "crusader" windows, similar to those of Palazzo Mazzola,
dating back to the renovation that took place in that period, which also
saw the creation of the internal portico. Currently the building is
owned by the Municipality of Asti which uses it as the seat of the "G.
Verdi" Institute of Music.
15 Casaforte dei Roero di Cortanze, Via
Quintino Sella 21, at the corner with Via San Martino. It stands
opposite Palazzo Gazelli and belonged to one of the branches of the
powerful Roero family, whose properties ranged from the Asti area to the
Langhe, in the area which took the name of "Roero" from the family. The
ancient stronghold, whose construction dates back to the first half of
the 13th century, has two floors delimited by the stringcourse, elegant
mullioned windows with terracotta and sandstone decorations and a
central column with a capital with acanthus leaves. The massive corner
tower measures 7.50 m on each side and was probably lowered in the 18th
century. Inside, of particular interest is a room with pointed arch
vaults delimited by cylindrical ribs typical of medieval architecture of
the thirteenth century.
16 Stronghold of the Roero di Monteu, Via
Roero, at the corner with Piazza San Martino. The original nucleus of
the complex consisted of three buildings from the mid-13th century,
whose entrance was on the alley that separated them from the Church of
San Martino, at that time with the facade facing the palaces. The
construction of the 7.50 m side tower, probably 37 meters high, now
lowered to the level of the building, dates back to the end of the 13th
century. Above an ogival arched entrance in terracotta and sandstone,
there were mullioned windows, also decorated and with a painted upper
lunette, of which only that of the top floor is preserved today. Inside
the building, the beautiful wooden coffered ceiling painted with
jousting scenes with the Roero knights as protagonists is valuable. In
the Napoleonic period the palace became the seat of the prefecture and
in 1804 hosted Pope Pius VII on his journey to France to crown Napoleon
Bonaparte emperor of the French.
17 Torre Comentina, Piazza Roma at
the corner with Corso Alfieri. The tower that has come down to us intact
is located in the San Martino-San Rocco district. It is the second civic
tower of the city, measuring 3.32 meters per side at the base, while its
height is 38.55 meters. It ends with a terrace with dovetail Ghibelline
battlements and has an underlying decoration with a double order of
terracotta and sandstone arches. The ogival windows that open on all
four sides, on the last order, are decorated with the same chromatic
motif as the arches above. Due to the type of structure and decoration,
the tower dates back to the second half of the 13th century. Its name
derives from studies by Gabiani who attributed its construction to the
Comentina family, while more recent research by Bera indicates it as the
property of the powerful Ghibelline family of the Gardinos, who had
their own district in the area.
18 Torre e Palazzo Gazzelli, Via
Quintino Sella 46, corner of via San Martino (between Piazza Statuto and
Via Roero), ☎ +39-348-7152273. The current complex belonged to the
"Ponte di Lombriasco", then to the "Cotti di Ceres", then from 1840 to
the "Gazelli di Rossana", and now privately owned, includes a group of
buildings whose medieval origins are highlighted by the shape of the
walls of the ground floor, by the vaults and by the presence of the
sturdy thirteenth-century severed tower with a square base of 8 meters
on each side, now 24 m high, but originally 38 m high. However, the
origins of the building are much older in consideration of the traces of
Roman walls present in the cellars. The currently existing complex
consists of the building renovated in the mid-18th century to a design
by Benedetto Alfieri and the adjacent building, also of medieval origin,
modified in the mid-19th century by the architect. Valessina, according
to the building typology of the "income house", including, in the
courtyards, the rustic appurtenances. In fact, in the second internal
courtyard, the service courtyard, there are large cellars for the
vinification, which was carried out here until the mid-1900s, the
stables, the granary and the remittances. The main floor of the building
has three rooms with "lambriggi", wooden paneling with gilded frames and
mouldings, typical of 18th-century Piedmontese furnishings. At the
center of the sidings in the second room there are frescoes, very
important for the city's history, dating back to 1758, the year in which
Count Cotti di Ceres was the owner of the horse that won the Palio for
the Confraternity of the Annunziata. They depict the fireworks in Piazza
San Secondo and scenes from the Palio. For information on visiting hours
and on the events that are organised, use the website.
19 Torre De
Regibus, Via Roero at the corner with Corso Alfieri. The
thirteenth-century tower stands on the area that was owned by the Re or
De Regibus family, a noble Ghibelline family dedicated to lending and
trading in Metz, Lorraine and Piedmont. The only example of an octagonal
tower existing in the city, originally 39 m high, with Ghibelline
battlements on the top, it is currently 27 m high, following the
demolition, in the 18th century, of three of the original nine floors.
The tower was part of a defensive complex formed by two other towers:
the Quartero tower and a smaller one, the "turret". For this reason, the
area is still known today as the "corner of the three kings".
20
Guttuari Tower, Piazza Statuto, at the corner with Via XX Settembre. The
tower stands on what is now Piazza Statuto, one of the most important
city market centers of the Middle Ages, originally called Piazza dei
porci or del fieno or del vino, which became Piazza delle Erbe or
dell'Ortaglia towards the second half of the fifteenth century, because
it was the seat of the fruit and vegetable market. Gabiani attributes
the property to the Guttuaris, hence the name, but according to the most
recent studies by Bera, the tower belonged to the Bertramenghi and
Scarampi families, already present in the area when the Guttuaris
arrived. Built between 1225 and 1235, it has a square base of 5.80 m on
the outside and 4 m on the inside. The upper part and the Ghibelline
crenellation date back to the end of the 19th century, a period in which
the rectangular windows were also opened and the still existing shop was
created on the ground floor. The tower is still inhabited today.
21
Natta Tower and Palaces. The tower is located in V. Natta at the corner
with V. Milliavacca, in the cathedral district, it was probably built in
the 11th century. with red bricks and only became the property of the
Nattas in the 17th century. The style of the tower, although cut off and
modified over time, is Gothic and together with the adjacent building it
must have been a very solid stronghold. The ground plan is a square of 5
m on each side, the barrel is smooth and closed, decorated with a double
band of droplet friezes. The door of V. Natta dates back to the
Renaissance, while that of V. Milliavacca, surmounted by an arch with
ashlars and white-red bricks, retains the characteristics of the Asti
Middle Ages. Other palaces of the Natta family, with medieval
characteristics, are located in P. Statuto, on the corner with V. Q.
Sella, which in the 17th century was called Contrada delli Signori
Natta. In one of these buildings, for 200 years, before moving to V.
Testa, there were the Royal Prisons.
22 Torre Quartero, Via Roero,
corner with Corso Alfieri (opposite the Torre De Regibus). Tower built
in the first half of the 13th century, in Gothic style and with a square
plan, it is an example of a habitable tower. In fact, according to
Bera's studies, in the medieval period it was the residence of da Uberto
De Regibus. It derives its name from Lorenzo Quartero, owner of the
building in the eighteenth century, a period in which it was lowered to
the level of the roofs.
23 Torre Solaro, Via Giobert, at the corner
with Via Carducci. Originally certainly higher, it was erroneously
attributed by the historian Gabiani to the powerful Guelph family of the
Solaro, who had some homes in that area. At the moment it is impossible
to trace the original owners of the tower in the Middle Ages: according
to Bera, in the 16th century. the tower and the adjacent buildings
belonged to the Ponte family. From an architectural point of view, the
building dates back to the second half of the 13th century, in Gothic
style. At the base it measures 8.10 meters on each side, it has a smooth
square barrel with single-lancet windows on the upper floors. The two
mullioned windows with pointed arches probably derive from the
"reconstructive" restoration of 1932.
24 Torre Civica (Torre
Troyana), Piazza Medici, ☎ +39 0141 399489. Full ticket €2.50, reduced
€1.10.. from April to October Saturday and Sunday 10:00-13:00 and
16:00-19:00 ( in October 16:00-18:). The Troyana tower or clock tower is
one of the symbols of Asti and is located near the Palazzo Ducale or Del
Governatore, in Piazza Medici. The building dates back to the end of the
XII century. And in the 13th century it belonged to the Troya family, a
rich line of bankers. The tower is 44 m high, perfectly preserved, and
is the tallest medieval tower in Piedmont. It is characterized by three
orders of elegant mullioned windows and decorations with terracotta and
sandstone arches. In the fifteenth century. it became a civic tower and
the clock was installed, present in the municipal tower of Piazza S.
Secondo, which collapsed in 1680, which was protected with the
construction of the sloping roof and with the spire used as a belfry.
Inside, a staircase of 190 steps allows you to climb to the level of the
battlements from which you can enjoy a complete view of the city and the
surrounding hills. The bell, which still marks the hours today, dates
back to the 16th century. and is one of the oldest in Piedmont. In the
past it sounded the closure of the shops, the punishments in the public
square and, in the nineteenth century, the retreat for the night and the
opening of the schools. The tower, recently restored, can be visited by
telephone reservation.
25 Torre Rossa, Corso Alfieri 424 (Near the
Church of Santa Caterina). It is one of the two towers which constituted
one of the ancient Roman gates of access to the city. Its Roman origins
are evident in the lower part, made of fired bricks, while the uppermost
part, made up of the last two orders of windows, is the medieval part,
also recognizable by the alternating use of terracotta and sandstone,
typical of Piedmontese Romanesque . According to tradition, the tower
was the prison of San Secondo before his martyrdom and for this reason,
once it lost its function as a palatine gate, it survived and was used
in the 11th century as the bell tower of the new church of San Secondo,
called precisely of the Red Tower. The modifications, carried out
according to the taste of the time, which led to its elevation date back
to this period: a first floor, in terracotta, probably older, with round
arched windows and a second floor, dating back to the XII - XIII
century, in terracotta and sandstone with 8 windows, with a second arch
inside which restricts the opening. The two floors both end with an
order of arches. The tower has a slight slope most likely due to the
elimination of the Roman structures and buildings that surrounded it
until the 1930s.
26 Palazzo Ottolenghi, Corso Vittorio Alfieri, 350, ☎ +39 0141
399050. The current building is the result of the 1754 renovation by
Benedetto Alfieri, who on behalf of Count Giuseppe Antonio Gabutti
unified two adjacent buildings, one already owned of the family of Count
Carlo Gabutti of Bestagno and the other purchased by the Ramelli family
of Celle. In May 1815, after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, he was a
guest of the Pope Pius VII palace. The room in which he stayed is still
called the "papal room". The building's current name comes from the
richest Jewish family in Asti who took possession of it in 1851 and
completely renovated the noble floor, according to the taste of the
time, adding internal decorations and overdoors. In 1932 the Ottolenghi
family donated it to the city of Asti, which used it as the seat of the
Prefecture. Palazzo Ottolenghi was for years the seat of the
authorities' stage and the arrival point of the historic Palio race in
the long run. Now some municipal offices reside in the building and the
main hall is used for conferences and exhibitions during cultural
events.
27 Town Hall, Piazza San Secondo. The Palazzo di Città or
Palazzo Civico is the seat of the municipal council of the city of Asti,
of the offices of the mayor and of the Council of the Palio. Its origins
date back to the medieval period, even if today it appears as a Baroque
building, following the restructuring of the eighteenth century. by
Benedetto Alfieri. The facade of the building has three orders of
openings, in which the central block prevails, tympanums of the windows
with corbel keystones equipped with a drip. The decorations of the
staircase date back to the 20th century and are the work of Ottavio
Baussano: four famous personalities from Asti are represented on the
ceiling: the architect Benedetto Alfieri, the playwright Giovan Giorgio
Alione, the cabinetmaker Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo and the mathematical
engineer Alberto Castigliano . On the walls are reproduced a map of Asti
taken from the Theatrum Sabaudie of 1682, the map of the city of 1929
and the representation of the city in the seventeenth century. with the
ancient route of the Palio in the long run. In the reception hall, the
frescoed ceiling by Paolo Arri is remarkable. In the entrance hall there
is the touchstone for the linear measurements of bricks and roof tiles,
in use on the Asti market until the late Middle Ages.
28 Church of
the ex Confraternity of San Michele, Piazza San Martino 4, ☎ +39 0141
355699. The church of the ex Confraternity of San Michele is a Baroque
church, of modest dimensions, with a single nave. On the
eighteenth-century facade, above the door, there is a frieze depicting
the Archangel Michael. Previously a place of Catholic worship, then
deconsecrated, it was restored at the end of the 20th century and since
2000 has become the headquarters of the Associazione Diavolo Rosso, a
non-profit association which offers shows, art exhibitions, literary
meetings, fundraising, food and wine events, tasting and promotion of
gastronomic specialties, allocating the proceeds to local and
international solidarity activities and projects. Diavolo Rosso was the
battle name of the famous cyclist from Asti Giovanni Gerbi (1885-1954).
The church is open in the evening from Thursday to Sunday, but often
also at other times and days of the week. For information and calendar
of events, visit the website.
29 Centro Giraudi (former church of San
Giuseppe), Piazza San Giuseppe 1, ☎ +39 0141 351874. It is located in
the Church of San Giuseppe, a Baroque building from the 17th-18th
century, now deconsecrated. The Center organizes exhibitions, cultural
events, musical and theatrical performances. There is currently a plan
for the creation, in some adjacent rooms, of the Museo della
Scenotecnica, the only one in Italy, with the aim of teaching and
disseminating the art of theatrical scenography.
30 Monument to Vittorio Alfieri, Piazza Alfieri. Dating from 1862.
31 War memorial, Piazza I Maggio. Dating back to 1930.
32 Monument to
Federico Cotti of Ceres, Piazza S. Maria Nuova. Dating from 1855.
33
Fountain of the Cantarana aqueduct, Piazza Medici. Dating back to 1908.
34 Monument to Umberto I, Piazza Cairoli. Asti was the first city to
erect a bronze equestrian statue of Umberto I, assassinated in Monza
about a year before the inauguration of the monument, which took place
on 4 October 1903. The square was named after the king and later after
the Cairoli brothers, but known all as "Piazza del Cavallo", it was
built together with the monument at the behest of a committee chaired by
Count Leonetti Ottolenghi, who paid the costs. The statue is the work of
the sculptor Odoardo Tabacchi and cast in bronze by Corrado Betta.
35
Monument to the Unification of Italy, Piazza Roma. Dating back to 1898.
36 Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (Public Gardens). Dating back to
1884.
37 Monument to Paolo Lugano - Bersagliere, Piazza Lugano.
Dating back to 1986.
38 Jewish Museum, Via Ottolenghi, 8 (Near Piazza Roma), ☎ +39 0141
399489, +39 0141 399466, +39 0141 399508, +39 0141 590003, fax: +39 0141
558338, info@israt.it. Visits by reservation. The Synagogue dates back
to 1600, but was enlarged and restructured in the 19th century, when the
Jewish community present in Asti played a significant role in the
economic and cultural development of the city. The museum, set up in the
winter temple, houses silverware, fabrics, objects of religious and
non-cultical use, furnishings, prayer books, photographs, manuscripts
and other evidence of the Jewish presence in Asti.
39 Museo
Alfieriano, Corso Alfieri, 375, ☎ +39 0141 399489. The museum is housed
in the birthplace of Vittorio Alfieri (1749-1803), a building of
medieval origins, but renovated in Baroque style by the poet's cousin
and tutor, Benedetto Bishops. The museum includes the writer's
apartment, with the original furniture, many documents on his activity,
engravings and lithographs from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the
building there are also the National Center for Alfieri Studies and the
Eugenio Guglielminetti Foundation Center for theatrical studies and
figurative art which hosts temporary exhibitions. After years of
restoration, the Alfieri museum can be visited again.
40 Crypt and
museum of Sant'Anastasio, Corso Alfieri 365/A, ☎ +39 0141 437454.
November-March Tue-Sun: 10am-1pm; 3pm-6pm. April-October Tue-Sun :
10:00-13:00;16:00-19:00. The complex has the dual role of archaeological
site and museum. The archaeological evidence, present in the western
part of the museum, ranges from the 1st-2nd century AD. until the early
1900s. In fact, there are visible remains of the pavement of the Roman
forum, traces of houses from the late ancient period, tombs dating back
to the 7th-10th century, the foundation wall of the first early medieval
church of Sant'Anastasio (7th century), remains of the subsequent
Romanesque church ( 11th century) and a part of the perimeter wall of
the seventeenth-century Baroque church demolished in 1907. The church of
Sant'Anastasio was part of the homonymous Benedictine female monastery
already documented in 1008, but probably of Lombard origin, which was
for centuries not only a spirituality, but economic and political power
due to its vast land holdings and links with the Asti aristocracy, from
which its abbesses usually came. In the Napoleonic period, it was
privatized and purchased by the Cotti Ceres counts, who donated it, in
1835, to the municipality of Asti which used it for educational
activities until its demolition in 1907, when the new classical high
school was built. Very suggestive is the crypt of the church dating back
to the 11th-12th century, with a basilica plan with three naves with
cross vaults, where you can admire recovered columns and capitals from
the Roman and early medieval periods. In the eastern part of the museum,
stone elements belonging to the site of S. Anastasio are conserved,
cantonal stones and coats of arms from strongholds and noble palaces of
the city and other finds dating mainly from the period between the
eighth and sixteenth centuries.
41 Palazzo Mazzetti and Pinacoteca
Civica, Corso Vittorio Alfieri, 357, ☎ +39 0141 530403, fax: +39 0141
599678, info@palazzomazzetti.it. variable depending on the exhibitions.
Tue - Sun, 10.30am – 6.30pm (last admission at 5.30pm). Palazzo Mazzetti
derives its name from the Mazzetti family of noble origins, coming from
Chieri, who settled in Asti after the purchase of the Turco stronghold
in 1442, enriched by the mercantile activity and by lending money and
with the right to mint coins, a privilege which he kept until 1614. The
palace is the result of the unification, starting from the end of the
17th century, of adjacent buildings, gradually acquired by the family.
In the middle of the eighteenth century. the building was renovated by
Benedetto Alfieri who created the representative rooms, the facade, the
atrium and the staircase. It is currently owned by the Cassa di
Risparmio di Asti and houses the Museum and the Civic Art Gallery. In
the basement you can visit the pantries, the icebox and the permanent
archaeological exhibition "Souvenir m'en doit".
42 Museum of the
Risorgimento, Corso Alfieri 350 (at Palazzo Ottolenghi), ☏ +39 0141
353072 (Municipality Museum Office), +39 0141 399489 (booking). Sat-Sun
10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm. Mon-Fri by reservation. The origin of the Museum
dates back to 1898, when on the occasion of the celebrations for the
fiftieth anniversary of the Albertine Statute, Count Leonetto Ottolenghi
commissioned the best painters of that period to paint paintings
depicting events and characters of the Risorgimento. The exhibition was
set up at the Alla del Foro Boario in Piazza Alfieri, a building
demolished in the 1960s to make way for the provincial building. At the
end of the exhibition, the finds were transferred to Palazzo Alfieri,
and from here, after the establishment of the Centro Studi Alfieriani,
they were moved to Palazzo Mazzetti where they remained on display until
1984. After years of archiving, in correspondence with the celebrations
for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy
on 23 March 2012 the museum was inaugurated in its current location
under the high patronage of the President of the Italian Republic
Giorgio Napolitano. The Museum presents pictorial works by Pontremoli,
Morgari, Cerruti Bauduc, Pittatore, Arri, Badoni, which depict
historical figures and battles of the Risorgimento epic, relics,
collections of weapons, coins from the period between 1797, the year of
the Astese republic, and 1870, the result of donations from Asti
families. From the Risorgimento rooms on the ground floor, you go down
to the Second World War air-raid shelter where an engaging projection
illustrates the history of the air-raid shelters and the Asti events of
the period. In the rooms on the first basement floor, a series of
educational panels and display cases complete the history of the city
during the first and second world wars. The layout of the Museum pays
particular attention to visitors with disabilities: thanks to a
multimedia station and two visual-tactile devices, everything visible on
the underground floors is illustrated to them.
43 Territorial
Paleontological Museum, Corso Alfieri, 381 (at the Palazzo del
Michelerio, near Palazzo Alfieri.), ☎ +39 0141 592091,
enteparchi@parchiastigiani.it. Mon-Thurs 10am-4pm. Sunday 10:00-13:00;
15:00-18:00 standard time, 10:00-13:00 16:00-19:00 summer time. Closed
on Friday and Saturday. The Museum offers two itineraries: one which
concerns the general and territorial palaeontology inherent to the
geological events of the last 25 million years and another which
presents the fossil skeletal remains of Asti cetaceans, whales and
dolphins, dating back to the Pliocene, between 5 and 2 million years
ago, when the entire Po Valley was occupied by the sea. There are very
important finds: the whale of Valmontasca (Vigliano d'Asti), the whale
of Portacomaro, the "Tersilla" whale of S. Marzanotto d'Asti and the
dolphins of Belangero and Settime.
44 Archeo-paleontological museum,
Corso Alfieri 2 (near the baptistery of San Pietro in Consavia), ☎ +39
0141 353072, +39 0141 399489 (Museums and reservations office), +39 0141
399466 (Museums and reservations office), +39 0141 399508 (Museums and
reservations office), urp@comune.asti.it. Only visits by reservation are
possible for schools and groups. The Museum is housed on two floors.
Various fossils are exhibited on the ground floor, mainly from the Asti
area: shells and fossilized animal remains. On the second floor there
are archaeological finds: pre-Roman metals, Greek, Magna-Greek and
Etruscan ceramics and many Roman remains, such as terracotta vases and
oil lamps, cinerary urns, glass and bronzes. Among the materials of
Egyptian origin, two mummies are exhibited with the relative sarcophagi
and various objects of a religious-funerary nature.
45 San Giovanni
Diocesan Museum, ☎ +39 0141 592176 ext 56, fax: +39 0141 326941,
museo@sicdat.it. The museum, still under construction, is located in V.
Natta 36, on the spaces of the cathedral complex. The project involves
the restoration of the Cloisters of the Canons, where the treasures of
the cathedral will be kept, the already completed restoration of the
church of San Giovanni, a versatile space capable of fulfilling various
functions, the restoration of the tower of Santo Stefano, the
enhancement of the archaeological emerged during the excavation phase,
the formation of a bank containing a space which, in addition to
becoming an archaeological site, will act as a link between the museum
spaces. The construction of the first covering slab of the underground
spaces allowed the protection of the archaeological structures that
emerged during the excavations and the creation of a first part of the
museum. The spaces open to the public, equal to 700 square meters,
include the hall of the former church of San Giovanni, the beautiful 8th
century crypt below and allow you to see part of the treasure of the
Cathedral and the splendid wooden choir by Baldino di Surso (1477).
Substantial historical reasons lead us to affirm that the church of San
Giovanni was the first early Christian cathedral of the diocese of Asti,
dating back to the V-VI century, rebuilt with three naves in the 9th
century, probably destroyed in the fire of 1070, when the whole city it
was put to fire and sword by the Countess Adelaide of Susa. The Church
of San Giovanni underwent major alterations in the 15th century, with
the demolition of the apse and part of the 8th-century crypt and the
construction of the current façade with an east entrance. The north nave
of the church (insisting on the current via Natta) had already collapsed
in the XIII century, while the south nave was used as a residence for
the canons and then demolished in the XVIII century. The surviving
central nave of the San Giovanni was covered with cross vaults and then
decorated in the mid-19th century. What remained of the cathedral of San
Giovanni in the last few centuries was used as a parish church and then
as a theater until the recent restorations.
46 Domus Romana dei
Varroni, ☎ +39 0141 437454, +39 0141 399489. It is located in the
basement of the "Canuto Borelli" home for the elderly, owned by the
municipality, in V. Varrone 30, about 80 meters north of the western
city gate , or the Torre Rossa, in the area of the Varroni castle. The
Domus Romana, dating back to the second half of the 1st century AD, at
the time was a private residence, usually on one floor, used by wealthy
families. In the white cocciopesto flooring, there is a valuable mosaic
built with the opus tesselatum technique combined with opus sectile
delimited by an internal herringbone frame and another, more external,
with a braided motif. The black and white mosaic is decorated with
geometric figures in colored marble alternating with zoomorphic figures
and aquatic plants. A very short distance away is also the mouth of an
oven which fed the domestic heating by means of cavities in the floors
(called "hypocaust" heating). On a small surface of the wall you can see
traces of the ancient decoration which must have been very rich. The
orientation of the walls is perpendicular to the Via Fulvia, the current
Corso Alfieri (the ancient decumanus maximus). Other remains of "Roman
domus" have come to light in recent years: to the east of the domus in
via Varrone, still in correspondence with corso Alfieri, in the
underground rooms of the Palazzo della Rovere in via Giobert and even
further east, in the area of via Carducci, near the tower of the
Vescovado.
47 Palazzo Mazzola (Historical Archive of the Municipality
of Asti). The palace is one of the few examples of Renaissance
architecture in Asti. Of medieval origins (13th century), as evidenced
by the foundations and the three pointed windows facing via Buon
Pastore), it owes its current appearance to the works completed in 1500.
In 1710 Filippo Mazzola donated the building to the Opera pious "Buon
Shepherd", an institution that housed abandoned children and young
people or in situations of poverty and degradation. Since 1979, with the
suppression of the Opera pia, the building has become the seat of the
historical archive of the Municipality and preserves important documents
of the medieval period, the oldest of which dates back to 947. There are
also documents relating to the period of Savoy domination, to the
Napoleonic period and the Restoration, as well as evidence of festivals,
fairs, demonstrations, censuses, various statistics and the archives of
the suppressed municipalities that became part of the municipality of
Asti between the end of the last century and 1929.
48 Church of San
Pietro in Consavia, Corso Alfieri 2, ☎ +39 0141 353072, fax: +39 0141
399507, Musei@comune.asti.it. free entry. November-March: Tue-Sun
10:00-13:00; 15:00-18:00. April-October Tue-Sun 10:00-13:00;
16:00-19:00. The church of San Pietro in Consavia, or Complex of the
Baptistery of San Pietro dates back to the 12th century. and was the
seat of the Gerosolimitano Priory of Lombardy until 1798. It consists of
four buildings. The oldest part is the Rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre, a
copy of the holy place, created to respond to the spiritual needs of
pilgrims who could not afford a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The brick
and sandstone building has a polygonal perimeter on the outside, while
inside it has a circular plan, with a central space circumscribed by
eight columns, with cubic capitals with rounded corners, connected to
each other by round arches. It was used as a baptistery only at the end
of the 13th century: in the center of the Rotunda there is a
16th-century marble baptismal font. To this first building was added
between the 13th and 14th centuries, a church made up of three
buildings, arranged in a "U" to form an internal cloister, divided into
the Pellegrini Hospital and Casa Priorale. In the fifteenth century
there was a new expansion with the addition of a square-plan building on
the eastern side, the chapel of San Pietro in Consavia, also called the
Valperga chapel from the name of the client, with a cross vault
decorated with a complex array of tiles figures in terracotta, the
richest example of this ornamental technique preserved in Asti.
Scassa Tapestry Museum (At the Scassa Tapestry Shop at the Certosa di
Valmanera).
Art gallery
50 Giov-Anna Piras Fund Association,
Via Angelo Brofferio 80, ☎ +39 0141353111, info@fondopiras.com. free
entry. The Giov-Anna Piras fund enhances its collection fund through
exhibitions and events of modern art and photography.
51 Soria Mario,
Piazza Roma 11, ☎ +39 0141354176. Contemporary carpet art.
52 Art is
light, Via Bonzanigo 34, ☎ +39 3355384984, info@artislight.it. Thu and
Fri 16:00-20:00; Sat 10am-1pm; you receive at other times by
appointment.
In Asti events are organized throughout the year, some aimed at a
wider audience, others more niche, but there are events in all seasons.
In spring
Spring Fair, Via Cavour, Piazza San Secondo, Via
Garibaldi, Piazza Alfieri, Viale alla Vittoria and Corso Alfieri,
between Via Rossini and Piazza Alfieri. From 7:00 to 19:00. On a Sunday
in early spring, between the end of March and the first week of April,
more than 200 stalls invade the streets of the center offering goods of
various kinds: clothing, footwear, household items and furnishings,
games for children and many gastronomic delicacies both from Asti and
from different regions of Italy. A section of the Fair, between Piazza
Statuto, Piazza San Secondo, Via Garibaldi and the first stretch of Via
Cavour is dedicated to the 0 km products of the Coldiretti farms. In the
public gardens, in parallel, Asti Florum takes place, dedicated to
plants, flowers and garden furniture.
Carolingian fair. Around the
Alfieri squares and the Palio square in Asti, every year, on the first
Wednesday in May, on the occasion of the patronal celebrations of San
Secondo, the Carolingian Fair is held, the oldest, best known and
largest of the Astigiane Fairs. a whole day all the streets and squares
of the center of Asti are invaded by over 600 stalls of all kinds with
many types of goods and typical products that always manage to meet the
tastes of the visitors.
14 Vinissage, Corso Felice Cavallotti 45. €10
with pocket, glass, free tastings and €5 discount voucher on the
purchase of the products on display. Reduced €5 for ONAV members; FISAR
and SLOW FOOD. Sat 3pm-8.30pm; Sun 10:30-19:00. Exhibition-market of
wines from organic and biodynamic agriculture, products, cellar
respecting the naturalness of the grapes, without the use of chemicals.
The purpose of the event is to promote conscious viticulture: by meeting
small producers from all over Italy, it is possible to dialogue,
confront them and taste their products. Alongside the wines, other
organic products are offered: preserves, jams, cheeses, cured meats,
oils, biscuits. Other initiatives accompany this event: Bio Wine Street
tasting, organized by CreATive: on Friday evening and Saturday evening
in the restaurants and bars in the center of the city you can taste the
organic wines accompanying them with typical dishes. On Saturday
afternoon the Nordic Walking and the treasure hunt take place; on Sunday
you can go to the discovery of Asti, visiting places usually not open to
the public or take part in the tour of the Unesco heritage hills.
Europe in Celebration, Piazza Campo del Palio. Event organized by
Confesercenti with the Municipality, sees the participation of operators
from all over Europe who, for 5-6 days at the end of May, offer the
characteristic products of the different nations: from beers, to paella,
from handicraft products to perfumes and with spices.
Gustadom,
Cathedral District. First weekend of June: Friday evening, Saturday
evening, full day on Sunday. It is a food and wine walk in the streets
of the cathedral district: traditional Piedmontese dishes, paired with
DOC and DOCG wines are distributed in the refreshment points set up in
the historic squares and palaces of the district, combining gastronomic
proposals with artistic and cultural ones. Some gluten-free dishes are
also offered to allow everyone to taste the excellence of the local
cuisine. On Sunday, the Mercà dij Busiard, an antiques market, takes
place in Piazza Cattedrale, accompanied by the great Piedmontese mixed
fry. Part of the proceeds from the event is donated to the Red Cross to
assist the city's needy people.
In summer
Passepartout
Festival, Courtyard of Palazzo di Collegio, Via Carducci 64. Free
admission. The Passepartout Festival organized by the Fondazione
Biblioteca Abstense Giorgio Faletti takes place in the first half of
June. Distinguished guests give lectures on a specific theme, chosen
each year. The title of the 2015 review is “1945-2015 Is the war over?”
Asti Music, Cathedral Square. Some concerts are free, others have a
variable price depending on the artists performing. It is a series of
concerts of different musical genres that are held in the Cathedral
Square in the month of July. For the detailed programme: municipality of
Asti.
Cinema Cinema, Corso Alfieri 381. Exhibition of open-air
cinematographic performances, located in the Palazzo del Michelerio.
Douja d'Or, Corso Felice Cavallotti, ☎ +39 0141 535211,
doujador2014@gmail.com.. The Douja d'Or is a national wine competition
that takes place in the Palazzo dell'Enofila, from the second to the
third weekend of September. It owes its name, which is pronounced
"dùja", to the dialectal term used to indicate an ancient and
pot-bellied Piedmontese mug. The event was born in 1967 to promote
knowledge of the best Italian wine productions, educating on the right
way to drink. ONAV experts and technicians award the D.O.C. wines with
the "Douja d'Or" stamp. and D.O.C.G. who have reached the score of
85/100 and assign the Douja Oscar to those who exceed 90/100 points. The
event is not only a showcase of prestigious wines to taste and buy, but
it is an important appointment with exhibitions, events, meetings,
concerts and with refined menus of Piedmontese signature cuisine. In
recent years, to enhance the local products, the Douja della Barbera and
the Douja dell'Asti are held in parallel with the competition.
The Festival delle Sagre, Piazza Campo del Palio, ☎ +39 0141 535211,
doujador2014@gmail.com. The Festival delle Sagre takes place in the same
period as the Douja d'or wine fair, during the second weekend of
September and constitutes " the truest representation of rural life in
Asti" of the past. On Saturday evening, from 18:30, and from 11:30 to
22:00 on Sunday, over 40 proloco in the province of Asti offer their
gastronomic specialties, from appetizers to desserts, accompanied by DOC
wines from Asti in a large indoor restaurant 'open which occupies the
entire square of the Palio. The menu, made up of more than 80 proposals,
presents all the heritage of the poor and bourgeois gastronomy of the
Asti and Monferrato areas. A symbolic event of the Festivals is the
evocative parade which on Sunday morning, starting at 9:15, winds its
way through the city, animated by more than three thousand participants
in authentic period clothes, tractors and tools of the trade that recall
the various moments of life peasant woman of the local villages between
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and show the taste for the simple
things of the past.
N.B.: Given the large influx of people, it is
advisable, if possible, to reach the city by train. On this occasion,
special trips are made to/from Turin. If you are using your own vehicle,
we recommend parking on the outskirts of the city: Piscina Asti Lido di
Corso Torino, near the ASTI OVEST motorway exit, and Piazza d' Armi
(Pilone area), near the ASTI EST exit. Free shuttle buses, every half
hour, both on Saturdays and Sundays, connect these car parks with the
city centre.
In autumn
Palio of Asti. Asti's annual festival
which falls on the first Sunday of September. It is a traditional
festival that has medieval roots, born as part of the patronal
celebrations of San Secondo and culminates with a race of barebacked
horses, or without saddles. It involves the participation of 14
districts and 7 villages, each with a horse and a jockey. The race takes
place in Piazza Alfieri and includes three heats plus a final; in all
phases you have to do three laps of the track. To qualify for the final,
you must finish at least in the first three positions of a heat. When
the final is over, various prizes are given: the prize (a standard) is
given to the first classified, a purse of silver coins to the second,
spurs to the third, the "live rooster" to the fourth, a rosette and
lastly the anchovy with the salad (traditionally, it is considered a
joke).
Palio of the flag-wavers. The Palio degli Sbandieratori,
also called "Paliotto", aims to perpetrate, through the ages, the
secular game of the flag, in all its historical, cultural and
traditional expressions. The musicians and flag-wavers of the various
districts perform on the Thursday evening immediately preceding the
Palio (third Sunday in September), in Piazza San Secondo, in front of a
jury of experts in the art of the flag, under the supervision of the
Captain of the Palio. It is a real explosion of sounds and colours. The
winning district is awarded the "frontal", a cloth with the city's
insignia, and wins the right to participate in the most important
national events.
Autumn Fair. After the Spring Fair and the
Carolingian, on a Sunday in the first fortnight of October, another of
the traditional events that involve the entire historical center of the
city returns. More than 250 operators offer products of various kinds:
from food to clothing, from handicrafts to accessories. The 2015 edition
will take place on 11 October.
Kitchen and Cellar and Regional
Truffle Fair, Centro Storico, ☎ +39 0141 399486. The Regional Truffle
Fair takes place on the weekend of mid-November in the historic center
of the city. The "trifolau" (truffle hunters) offer, on their small but
very precious and very fragrant stalls, the trifule to be thinly sliced
on raw meat, on tajarin or on fondue. Many side initiatives
(conferences, tastings, musical performances ....) are the corollary to
the event. Above all "Cucina e cantina", a grandiose event dedicated to
good drinking and good food, offered by the city's restaurants,
obviously with dishes based on truffles. For 2015 the fair will take
place on 14 and 15 November.
In winter
Christmas Markets,
Porticoes of Piazza Alfieri. Christmas items of handcrafted production
and food and wine products are offered to give away on the occasion of
the holidays.
Passepartout en hiver, Casa del teatro, via Goltieri 3.
free admission. Organized by the Astense Library and the CNA Asti, it is
divided into a series of meetings that take place on Sunday afternoons
from mid-January to mid-March. It is a "cultural salon" in which
different topics are illustrated and discussed.
By plane
Turin airport, about 80 km away (1h). From the airport
buses and trains leave for the Porta Nuova railway station in Turin
where it is possible to take the train to Asti.
Milan Linate airport
135 km away (1.5 hours).
Milan Malpensa airport 150 km away (1.5
hours).
Genoa airport 110 km away (1h).
The city can be reached
from the airports by renting a car, which is then useful for visiting
the Asti countryside, or by shuttle bus and train.
By car
Along the Turin - Brescia motorway, take the Asti Est and Asti Ovest
exits.
state road 231 from Ventimiglia, Cuneo, Bra and Alba.
state
road 457 from Vercelli and Casale Monferrato.
state road 458 from
Ivrea and Chivasso.
state road 10 from Turin and Alessandria.
On the train
The Asti railway station is on the
Turin-Alessandria-Genoa line. The connections with Turin and Alessandria
are frequent, every 30 minutes, those with Genoa every 60 minutes. From
Milan it is necessary to change in Alessandria or Voghera.
By bus
Troiolo Bus, Corso Garibaldi, 185 - Siderno, ☎ +39 0964 381325, fax: +39
0964 381325, info@troiolobus.com. The company allows the direct
connection of Asti with Africo, Ardore, Badolato, Bianco, Bovalino,
Brancaleone, Catanzaro, Catanzaro Lido, Caulonia, Davoli, Guardavalle,
Isca sull'Ionio, Lamezia Terme, Locri, Marina di Gioiosa Ionica,
Monasterace, Montepaone, Polistena, Riace, Roccella Jonica, Rosarno,
Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio, Santa Caterina, Siderno, Soverato,
Squillace, Taurianova and Vibo Valentia; not all connections are daily.
In the historic center it is advisable to get around on foot.
By public transport
Urban public transport is managed by ASP. There
are 7 bus lines and they reach the different parts of the city and the
hamlets. The service starts at 6.30 and ends at 20.30, following the
winter timetable and the summer timetable. The one-way ticket costs €1
and lasts 1 hour. It is possible to purchase a carnet of 10 tickets for
€8. It is also possible to purchase a daily Park & Ride voucher for €5
which allows parking in paid areas for the whole day and gives a daily
bus ticket. For timetables and lines, refer to the ASP website. There is
a network of suburban buses that connects the city to the towns of the
province. The departure is from Piazza Medaglie d'Oro, near the railway
station.
By taxi
Taxis can be found outside the train station,
in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi 8, and can be booked by calling +39 0141
592722.
Ancient Romans in 129 BC e. founded the military camp Colonia on
the site of the Ligurian settlement, designed to guard the road from
Rome to Gaul, which later became a city called Hasta Pompeia, since,
according to legend, the commander Pompey the Great (106-48 BC)
stuck in place its bases are its spear.
During the Great
Migration of Peoples, the city more than once took the first blow of
the barbarians rushing into Italy. The Lombards, who captured
Northern Italy in 568, divided it into 36 "counties", one of which
made Asti the capital.
Under the Carolingians, power in the
district passed into the hands of local bishops. The XI century was
marked by an armed confrontation between Bishop Otto and Countess
Adelaide of Susa. In February 1155, the city, which joined the
Lombard League, was burned by its worst enemy - Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa. Since then, the inhabitants of Asti, who ruled the city
on their own, skillfully balanced between the emperor, the pope and
the Genoese.
In the XIII century, the city entered into a
struggle with Milan, Alba, Alessandria, the Savoy dynasty and the
margraves of Montferrat and Saluzzo for the commercial primacy in
Piedmont. In the middle of the century, Alba fell into political
dependence on Asti, and Turin and Chieri into commercial dependence.
Charles of Anjou took the side of the Duke of Savoy against the
inhabitants of Asti.
This era also saw the emergence of the
custom of annually holding a palio - horse racing festival in the
city, first mentioned in 1275 by the local chronicler Guglielmo
Ventura.
The struggle for independence exacerbated the
contradictions between the "best citizens", and in 1314 Solaro's
bankers handed the city over to the Neapolitan crown. In 1339-1342,
the republic was briefly restored, after which the inhabitants of
Asti succumbed to the hands of the Milanese Visconti. Later, John II
Palaeologus (Margrave of Montferrat) and Louis of Orleans, to whom,
along with the hand of Valentina Visconti, Asti departed, also
claimed their rights to Asti.
Until the Italian Wars, the
city remained a French enclave in Italy. According to the Peace of
Cambrai (1530), the French crown ceded the rights to Asti to Emperor
Charles V, who transferred it under the control of his commander
Charles de Lannoy. After the death of the latter, the emperor
appointed Asti a dowry for Beatrice of Portugal on the occasion of
her marriage to Charles of Savoy. Since then, Asti became the
possession of the Savoy dynasty.