Asti

The city dates to pre-Roman times and a few ruins remain. In the 10th-13th centuries, Asti rose economically and politically to become one of the most powerful independent cities in Western Italy, with extensive trading rights granted by the Holy Roman Empire. The old medieval town still maintains many of the historic palaces and towers built by the rich families -Asti was known as the "city of 100 towers" (in fact there were 120 of which about 15 survive). Eventually power struggles between Turin and Milan led to Asti’s demise as an independent city and the city changed hands frequently over a 300 year period until it fell under control of the House of Savoy in 1575, regaining some of its former glory. The city is divided into the new Baroque (1700s) town centred around the Piazza Alfieri named after one of Italy’s most famous poets who was born in Asti and the medieval town centred on the Piazza San Secondo with the Romanesque San Secondo Church and Crypt. Today Asti is the main commercial centre of Piedmont's wine area, but still retains a friendly small town feel and is a good base for touring Piedmont. Asti is 40 minutes drive from Turin and one hour from Milan.

Office of Tourism

• Asti Turismo

  phone: +39 0141 530 357
  address: Piazza Alfieri 34

==Get in==

By plane

Turin Caselle (one hour), Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (one hour), Milan Malpensa or Linate (one and half hours). Better to rent a car, (useful for touring around Asti area) or take shuttle to main station and train to Asti.

By car

Asti is on the A21 Torino-Piacenza autostrada; other (scenic) routes are via SS231 from Ventimiglia via Cuneo, Bra and Alba; via SS457 from Casale Monferrato (and Vercelli); via SS458 from Ivrea and Chivasso;

By train

Asti is a principal station on the main Turin to Rome line. Frequent trains from Turin (30 minutes) or Genoa (one hour). From Milan you need to change in Alessandria or Voghera.

Central Asti is quite compact and there is a large and reasonably well preserved historical centre which is easy to walk around. The train station is close to the centre and there are 2 large and convenient parking spaces in the centre (except on market days) at Piazza Alfieri and Campo del Palio. Also parking in the old city at Piazza Roma and Piazza Catena, but be cautious of restricted streets.

There are several medieval churches in Asti, the oldest dating back to the 11th century. Most are open to visitors during normal hours, including:

• Collegiata di San Secondo

  address: Piazza San Secondo
  Built on the site of Asti’s patron saint’s martyrdom (119 AD), rebuilt in the 13th century, and houses the bones of the sacred saint of Asti in the crypt and the Palio d’Asti banners in a chapel.

• Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

  address: Piazza Cattedrale
  Built in the 14th century, one of Piedmont’s most important Gothic churches.
• Medieval City, the central part of Asti still comprises narrow paved streets, ancient buildings, towers palaces and churches, with many parts of the old wall still intact. Great for wandering around.

• Torre Troyana

  address: Piazza Medici
  13th-century Asti was known as the “city of 100 towers” – in fact there were 120 of these fortified family bolt-holes, of which about 12 still survive. This tower is open to visitors on weekends to walk up the summit.

• Torre Rossa

  address: end of Corso Alfieri
  Oldest surviving tower dating back to Roman era (1st century), formerly part of the old gate.

• Palazzo Civico

  address: Piazza San Secondo
  An old palace, used as the mayor's office and other Asti commune offices. Visitors allowed on the first floor halls.

• Historical Archives (Palazzo Mazzola)

  address: Via Cardinal Massaia, opposite Cathedral
  It houses a large collection of historical documents and maps, including a room dedicated to Palio di Asti. Open weekdays in normal hours, €2.50 admission.

• Teatro Alfieri

  address: Via Teatro Alfieri
  Asti’s theatre, built in 1860, resembles an opera house and was recently renovated. Often if someone is there they will let you wander around.

Museums

• Museum and Crypt of Sant’Anastasio

  address: Corso Alfieri 365
  8th-century.

• Battistero di San Pietro

  address: Piazza 1º Maggio
  Romanesque church and museum complex (palaeontological and archaeological) built in the 12th century, modeled on Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with cloisters, tower and pilgrims hospice.

• Synagogue and Jewish museum

  address: Via Ottolenghi
  Visit by appointment only.

• Scassa Tapestry Workshop and Museum

  address: Via dell'Arazzeria
  Scassa specializes in making tapestries based on famous paintings. Visits are free by appointment.

• Palio di AstiThis historic bareback horse race is the oldest one of its type in Italy originating in 1273, when the Astigiani staged a race beneath the walls of the enemy city of Alba causing great devastation to their vineyards. Wars between Asti and Alba have long since ceased, although to this day there is intense rivalry between the cities, and the Palio horse race is now held every 1st Sunday in September. All the ancient borgo (boroughs) of Asti, and many nearby towns enter both a horse and a contingent for the medieval parade preceding the Palio. The parade starts at the Cathedral and winds through the historical medieval town ending up on the Palio arena on Piazza Alfieri. There are 3 heats, followed by an interlude for the flag-throwers to show their skills; then the final is raced (usually after several deliberate false starts) and the winner claims his prize - the precious banner with the picture of Asti’s patron saint, the "Palio di Asti".

• Festival delle SagreIt holds every second weekend in September. Every small town and commune in Piedmont holds a “Sagre” festival celebrating their special food dish and local wines. The Asti Sagre is the “Sagre of Sagres” where some 50 or so provincial towns and communes build a thematic stand in the Campo Del Palio and for two days over the weekend hold an eating festival. Tickets are bought directly at each stand and typically cost €3-€4 a plate, plus €1-€2 for a glass of wine. On the Sunday morning all the participants sponsor a float depicting traditional rural themes, such as wine making, truffle hunting, distilling grappa, old threshing machines, laundry day, etc. (there’s even one depicting the local bordello). The staging area is in the Campo del Palio and the parade goes through the medieval town, pulled by antique tractors lovingly maintained for the occasion.

• Douja d'OrFor 10 days between the Sagre and Palio, Asti holds the Douja D’Or (gold goblet) wine tasting competition and symposium. Every day there are taste workshops, learned discussions, wine judging, label competition, plus speciality plates from the local restaurants and music at night. Over 400 wines are available for tasting, not only Piedmontese but from all over Italy and each year a non-Italian wine region is featured.

• Palio degli SbandieratoriPiedmont's flag-throwing teams are justly famous and every Asti Borgo and provincial town sponsors a team, who compete in the Piazza San Secondo in a night time spectacle during the Palio week. This event is not staged for tourists, its very much for locals to support their commune, and hence has a lot of character and charm.

Asti has many smart shops in the town centre. Some good places for gifts:

• Ricambi d’Arte

  address: Corso Alfieri 203
  Linens, materials, laces, table clothes and small gift items.

• Pasticceria Giordanino

  address: Corso Alfieri 256
  Cakes, chocolates and biscuits.

• Enoteca Pompa Magna

  address: Via Aliberti 65
  Good selection of local wines and wine bar at very reasonable prices – owner speaks English.

• Gastronomia San Secondo

  address: Corso Dante 6
  Wonderful delicatessen close to Piazza Alfieri.

• Laboratorio Caseario

  address: Via Cavour 6
  Asti’s best cheese shop, also a wine bar and café ideal for a light lunch.

Markets

• Indoor Food Market

  address: near Piazza Alfieri
  Open every day except Sunday and Thursday afternoon. Bakeries, cheeses, meats, fish, etc. Good quality.
• Farmer’s market, Piazza Catena, open daily in mornings except Sunday, vegetables and fruit from local small farms.
• Asti market Piazza Alfieri and Campo del Palio, a big general market twice weekly on Wed&Sat, clothing, shoes, haberdashery, hardware’s, household etc., plus cheese, meat and bakery stands. Fruit and vegetables in the morning only.
• Fiera Carolingia, huge yearly market every May, over 1000 stalls from all over Italy.

• Antique market, in central Asti every 4th Sunday of the month.
• Truffle Fair, Cucina e Cantina, mid-November, Asti's truffle festival combined with many wine and food stalls.

Asti has many fine restaurants, osterie and trattorie to choose from including.

• Tacabanda

  phone: +39 0141 530999
  address: Via al Teatro 5
  Good wine selection and value.

• Gener Neuv

  phone: +39 0141 557270
  address: Via Carlo Leone Grandi
  Regarded as Asti’s best restaurant (and most expensive).

• Angolo del Beato

  phone: +39 0141 531668
  address: Vicolo Cavalleri
  Regional cuisine. Rabbit in tuna sauce, bagna cauda, Piedmontese wines.

• Pizza Francese

  phone: +39 0141 592321
  address: Via dei Cappellai 15

• Hotel Reale

  phone: +39 0141 530240
  address: Piazza Alfieri 6
  The old hotel in the heart of town on Piazza Alfieri, good restaurant (Il Flauto Magico), wine bar and pizzeria downstairs.

• Monna Laura

  phone: +39 0141 594159
  address: Via Cavour 30

• Moro 2.0

  phone: +39 0141 592513
  address: Via Mameli 11

• Tartufo d'Oro

  phone: +39 0141 352087
  address: Via Cavour 95

• Tre Re

  phone: +39 0141 592753
  address: Corso Alfieri 378

• Osteria del Palio

  phone: +39 0141 590401
  address: Piazza Alfieri 28

• One More

  phone: +39 347 537 4877
  address: Lungo Tanaro dei Pescatori 12

• Dai Toscanacci

  phone: +39 349 523 8894
  address: Corso Alfieri 430

• Villa Fernanda

  phone: +39 0141 212785
  address: Località Palucco

• Pizzorante Capri

  phone: +39 0141 592570
  address: Corso Savona 153

• cRust

  phone: +39 0141 34875
  address: Piazza Roma 12

• Volli

  phone: +39 0141 178 6215
  address: Via XX Settembre 60

• Hotel Cavour

  phone: +39 0141 530222
  address: Piazza Marconi 18
  Inexpensive hotel next to train station.

• Hotel Palio

  phone: +39 0141 34371
  address: Via Cavour 106
  4-star hotel in central Asti, close to train station and campo del Palio.

• Hotel Lis

  address: Via Fratelli Rosselli 10

• Hotel Aleramo

  address: Via Emanuele Filiberto 13

• Mini Motel

  address: Corso Alessandria 560

• Albergo Etico

  address: Corso Galileo Ferraris 58

• Albergo Antica Dogana

  address: Via Antica Dogana 5, Frazione Quarto Inferiore

• Hotel Reale

  address: Piazza Alfieri 5

• Hotel Rainero

  address: Via Cavour 85

• Villetta Sampaguita

  phone: +39 0141 295802
  address: Valleandona 117
  Agriturismo B&B 10 minutes from Asti, owned by British couple, with vineyard and winery.

Asti is near many wine country hill towns and villages:

• The Roero; Cisterna d'Asti, Canale
• N. Monferrato; Cocconato, Abbazia Vezzolano, Sacra di Crea
• S. Monferrato; Nizza, Canelli
• Langhe; Barolo, Barbaresco & Mango