Luoghi da Visitare · 30 min
Luoghi da Visitare · 30 min
One of Piemonte's most beautiful medieval cities, Asti rewards an unhurried half-day in almost any season. Its towers rise above a compact historic centre that is walkable from end to end — the Torre Troyana and the church of San Secondo marking the two most distinctive silhouettes on the skyline. The Duomo of Asti is one of the finest Gothic churches in northern Italy, its interior cool and spare in the way that matters. The Enoteca Regionale Canelli e dell'Astesana is worth a stop for regional wine tastings before or after lunch.
The Palio di Asti, held on the third Sunday of September, is one of the oldest horse races in Italy — a tradition maintained since 1275, running through the city's main piazza in a spectacle of medieval costume and neighbourhood rivalry. The rest of the year, Asti is simply a very fine provincial city: good markets, honest trattorias, the best Barbera in the world sold by the glass in the old quarter. Park at Piazza Vittorio Alfieri and walk in from there.