Towers, Festivals & Cakes - A Guide to Asti

My Asti…
Asti sits at the crossroads of central Piedmont overlooking the Tanaro river, a city rich in history, piazzas and towers. In the 1680's, there were over 120 towers but today only a few remain. A city with a proud history, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the city experienced a period of great prosperity, local bankers lent money to many Kings and Princes throughout Europe as Asti became the most important commune of the region.

In the 14th century, following disputes between some of the town's important families, Asti began to lose its importance and power and Amedeo V of Savoia gave it to the King of France in 1378. 300 years later Asti found itself again under the rule of the House of Savoia. Briefly under the rule of Napoleon from 1799 to 1814, Asti returned at last to Piedmont until the unification of Italy in 1861.

Today it is a city that is almost tourist free, with a strong sense of tradition and community spirit. A great place to take time, relax and absorb the history of a city best known for Asti Spumante, the sweet white sparkling wine.

Local Events
September
The Palio di Asti is Italy’s oldest horse race held on the 3rd Sunday in September.

The Festival Delle Sagre, held a week before the Palio, is a famous celebration of food staged in the Piazza Campo del Palio, where many towns from the Province of Asti are represented and feature their food specialties and wines. On the Sunday of the Festival there is a parade through the city streets with floats depicting traditional country life and locals in costume lining the route to the Piazza.

Local Food and Drink
Sweet tooth?...Then head for Corso Alfieri, number 254 where you will find Pasticceria Giordanino, founded in 1912, which has been selling Asti’s finest cakes, chocolates and biscuits for nearly 100 years. Try the Torrone, a honey and hazelnut nougat with a touch of vanilla and orange.

and a little thirsty? Try Settembrino, a long drink with a heady mixture of gin, peach vodka, mandarinetto (a sweet and aromatic liqueur made from mandarins), pink grapefruit juice and of course Asti D.O.C.G.

Adrian's Spotlight on....... 'The Palio di Asti'
Although not Italy's most famous horse race (that honour belongs to Siena), it is the oldest, dating back to the 12th century. The race is held on the 3rd Sunday in September in Piazza Alfieri where 21 horses are ridden bareback by jockeys representing the 14 quarters of the town and seven villages of the province.

Of course in true Italian style, whilst the bareback horse race is certainly part of this great Italian festival, there is also plenty of focus on eating and drinking. Celebrations start on the Friday and Saturday before the race with food and wine, market stalls, music, parades and fireworks. A real festival where the colours and costumes transform this historic town every year into a fun place to be.

How to Get There
By Plane: The most convenient airports to Asti are Turin and Genoa. The Aeroporto di Torino (Turin) and Genoa Cristoforo Colombo are both about one hour from Asti. Both are well served by major airlines as well as budget ones including Easyjet and Ryanair.

By Train: Only accessible by limited trains on the Turin to Genoa line. From Turin take the hourly InterRegionale straight to Asti, 30 to 55 minutes. From Genoa the journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes.

By Car: Asti is located just off the A21 Torino-Piacenza autostrada, or take the scenic route from the south at the French Border with Ventimiglia via Cuneo, Bra and Alba (SS231) or from the north via Ivrea and Chivasso (SS458).
By Bus: From Alba and Turin the journey takes about one hour. From Alba there are buses about once an hour and from Turin there are two buses a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Top Ten Things to See and Do
1. Wander around the narrow paved streets of the Medieval City
2. Take a look at the Torre Comentina on the corner of Piazza Roma
3. See the redbrick Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, one of the largest in Piedmont
4. Visit the Collegiata di San Secondo in Piazza San Secondo
5. See the Torre Rossa, some of the tower dates back to the first century
6. Visit the Crypt of Sant'Anastasio
7. Check out Torre Troyana one of the most beautiful towers in Piedmont
8. See the Baroque church of St. Catherine
9. Visit the church of San Pietro in Consavia, at the eastern end of Corso Alfieri
10. See the Rotonda di San Pietro and its round, 10th-century baptistery