ASTI
WALKING TOUR OF ASTI IN italy’s PIEDMONT
Exploring Asti in Italy’s Piedmont region with a walking tour offers a captivating journey through centuries of history. Although now a seemingly tranquil town, Asti is rich in cultural and artistic heritage.
Founded by the Romans in the second century BC, its early settlement thrived commercially due to its advantageous geographical location. For centuries, Asti has served as a crucial stop for travelers, merchants, soldiers, and artists moving between France and Milan or from the Mediterranean coast to the Alps. It played a key role in Piedmont’s political-military landscape until the House of Savoy altered its historical trajectory.
The tour begins in the square that hosts the colorful horse race and costume parade known as the Palio every September, a tradition older than its counterpart in Siena. Read on our blog about the differences and shared traits of Siena’s Palio Horse Race and Palio of Asti.
From there, visitors will walk through the Jewish ghetto, among the last to be established in Europe. Many families from this community emerged as notable figures in the 19th century, including the Ottolenghi family, who contributed to urban improvements and constructed the still-active Asti theatre. Palazzo Ottolenghi now houses a museum dedicated to Italy’s Unification.
The tour of Asti, Italy, continues to the Cathedral, the largest example of Gothic architecture in Piedmont, built in bricks, San Secondo Church, City Hall, and the tallest tower in town, the Troyana Tower, situated in the elegant Medici Square. Framed by Liberty-style residential buildings, the square is named after a well-known local entrepreneur dubbed “the king of blue gold.”
Vittorio Alfieri, widely regarded as one of the greatest tragic dramatists in Italian literature, is one of the most famous individuals born in Asti. In contrast, Secondo Pia is lesser-known but notably the first to photograph the Holy Shroud of Turin, revealing previously unseen details of the relic.
Asti is also home to popular brands and artists, such as the food company Saclà and the comedian-writer Giorgio Faletti. The town features museums and archaeological sites that can keep visitors entertained for more than a day. Noteworthy is the intriguing 8th-century crypt of Saint Anastasio and the ancient San Pietro in Consavia, which was built to accommodate pilgrims during the Crusades.
Additionally, the Fossil Museum showcases a complete whale skeleton and dolphins, making it a hit with families and children. Palazzo Mazzetti hosts temporary art exhibitions, while quaint Romanesque churches from the 11th century can be found scattered throughout the countryside.
Roman Traces in a Tour of Asti
When Consul Marco Fulvio Flacco initiated a series of military campaigns to conquer what is now southern Piedmont around 125 BC, his goal was clearly defined. He aimed to identify fertile lands for distribution to Romans, aligning with the policies of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus that favored the plebeians.
Naturally, the area of Asti was ideal for this purpose, leading him to construct a road, known as Via Fulvia, that traversed these lands. This was followed by the establishment of several oppida, or fortified encampments, intended to serve as hubs for new cities. Among them, Hasta was noted by Pliny the Elder as a bustling center for crafts, particularly terracotta pottery, although no archaeological evidence has been unearthed to support this claim.
The Red Tower – Torre Rossa in Italian – stands as one of the city’s highlights of Roman origin, flanking the main entrance through the former Roman walls. Built from bricks and featuring a polygonal base, it echoes the design of the Palatine Gate in Turin and dates back to the first century AD. It was later elevated to function as the bell tower for the Church of Santa Caterina. Interestingly, the tower’s name derives not from the clay’s hue, but from a local family that resided nearby.
In Asti, various sites showcase the use of recycled materials from Roman structures in new developments, a trend that spread throughout medieval Europe. Notable examples include the four saint statues that embellish the side portal of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta e San Gottardo, crafted from repurposed Roman materials. Additionally, the bases of two large medieval baptismal baths housed within the Cathedral are made of inverted Corinthian capitals, further illustrating this practice.
Asti’s Cathedral: Piedmont’s Largest Gothic Church
The Cathedral stands out as one of the most captivating examples of Gothic architecture in Piedmont. Along with the many towers and fortresses still visible in the city, it represents the peak of medieval power. In the late 13th and early 14th centuries,
Asti experienced its greatest commercial success, leading to significant wealth among its citizens, who chose to invest in the Cathedral. Following this, the Cathedral emerges as the largest Gothic structure in Piedmont, featuring an impressive collection of paintings by the local artist Gandolfino da Roreto. He was among the first in Piedmont to incorporate Renaissance techniques into his artwork.
Asti: Italy’s Medieval Glorious Past
As the city’s wealth grew, particularly from business development and early financial activities, influential families gained independence from both the Emperor and the bishop. A Municipality was established prior to 1095, marking the city’s emergence as an independent government with the authority to mint coins and trade throughout Europe.
Both the Church and the prominent families within the city consistently sought to assert their dominance in both the city and its surroundings. During the Middle Ages, wealthy families in Asti began to engage in internal conflicts, mirroring the broader European divisions between Guelphs and Ghibellines. They seized every chance to undermine one another, which hindered their ability to unite under a strong leader who could defend Asti against numerous conquering forces.
Today, we can admire the palaces of the Malabajla, Roero (along with their many fiefdoms), Alfieri, Zoya, and several other “casane” that still grace the city center. Churches, palaces, towers, and monuments were constructed in accordance with the architectural styles of their respective eras, transitioning from Gothic to Baroque. Many artistic treasures are often hidden behind facades that may appear unremarkable.
Asti is renowned for its terracotta decorations, brick and sandstone arches, and works by artists like Gandolfino da Roreto, which reflect the prestige of these families through art. In 1342, weary of constant conflict, the citizens allowed the Visconti from Milan to enter, marking the end of the city’s free medieval era.
San Secondo Church in Asti
Not surprisingly, among the medieval beauties of Asti there are many religious buildings, first of all the Collegiate Church of San Secondo.
Included in all tour of Asti, because of its central location, the church was built starting from the tenth century in the place considered the martyrdom of the patron saint of the city. Its severe Romanesque forms still legible despite some alterations of successive eras and styles, enclose a jewel of art and beauty. The terracotta and sandstone decorations are in dialogue with the medieval frescoes recently brought to light.
Things to Do in Asti: San Pietro in Consavia
The turbulent decades marking the conclusion of the Roman Empire also affected Asti. The medieval resurgence of prosperity accompanied a deep Christian spirituality that permeated all facets of life. Hasta, which gradually evolved into Asti, like numerous other European areas, experienced a rebirth following the fall of Roman rule.
San Pietro in Consavia originated from a series of constructions initiated after 1000 by Bishop Landolfo di Vergiate, during the First Crusade, which then lay just outside the city walls. Designed to replicate the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem the building was meant to provide pilgrims, who could not embark on the perilous journeys to the Holy Land after the first Crusades, with a nearby site for their devotion and, naturally, their financial contributions.
Romanesque Churches on the Monferrato Hills
A tour of Asti, located in Italy’s Piedmont region, can extend beyond the city to the nearby community of Viatosto, which sits atop a hill overlooking the area. The quaint church of Viatosto, known as Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, dates back to the 11th century and features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles.
The Monferrato Hills, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in Piedmont, Italy, boast numerous beautiful Romanesque churches from the 11th and 12th centuries. These churches are known for their simple yet elegant stonework, semicircular arches, and medieval frescoes. Nestled in an unspoiled rural landscape, where wild forests intertwine with crops, fruit trees, and vineyards, these countryside churches serve as charming stops on guided treks and radiate a unique mystical appeal.
San Secondo in Cortazzone, constructed in the 12th century, boasts sculpted capitals that depict biblical narratives and mythical beings. In Montechiaro d’Asti, the church dedicated to San Nazario e Celso, once an ancient monastic site with a captivating ambiance, features typical Romanesque decorations and medieval masonry techniques.
Adjacent to the Montiglio Monferrato cemetery, Pieve di San Lorenzo is a small parish church housing 11th-century frescoes and stands as one of the best-preserved examples of early Romanesque architecture in the area.
The Abbey of Vezzolano in Albugnano
The most extensive complex is found on the northern edge of Asti’s province, just outside Albugnano. Founded around the 11th to 12th centuries, the Abbey of Vezzolano served as a significant monastic center, offering visitors a chance to explore its evocative cloister adorned with Romanesque-style columns and capitals.
Among its many features is the pontile (also known as jubé, a French term meaning “Lord, grant your blessing”), a unique structure that spans the church at the first bay height. Constructed from painted grey sandstone sourced from Monferrato, it consists of five pointed arch bays supported by stone columns with crochet-style capitals. A double register of polychrome bas-reliefs embellishes this structure.
Book A Tour Guide in Asti
From 150€ | 2 hours | Private, just for your party, up to 15 guests
Museum entrance tickets not included
