Discover Asti: art and history

Asti offers several cultural and historical themes to help you plan your trip: Baroque and Renaissance architecture, medieval building history, Roman remains, and art and paleontology. If you’re looking for a destination whose history can be read in its different buildings and collections, Asti lets you explore different eras and perspectives together.

Palaces, paintings and architecture

Named after the Mazzetti family, Palazzo Mazzetti is a Baroque palace and home to Asti’s municipal art gallery. Its collections include 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures. Here, the palace’s historic architecture meets art from two more recent centuries. Palazzo Mazzola offers a different architectural note and is considered a rare example of Renaissance architecture in Asti. Comparing the two palaces offers a way to include different architectural styles in your exploration of the city.

The cathedral and its works of art

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta is the largest cathedral in Piedmont. It was rebuilt between 1309 and 1354 on the foundations of an earlier Romanesque cathedral. Frescoes and paintings by artists from Asti can also be seen there, including works by Gandolfino da Roreto and Guglielmo Caccia. The building’s history and the artists’ names provide two distinct points of reference: its development over a specific period and its connection to art from Asti.

From Roman traces to the Romanesque crypt

The Domus Romana preserves the remains of a patrician house from the 1st century AD. The crypt of the Museo Diocesano San Giovanni offers another glimpse into Roman history: it contains four reused Roman columns, three of which are made of Egyptian red porphyry. In the same museum, a Gothic wooden choir stall showcases the work of Baldino da Surso, dating from 1477. The Roman columns and the dated choir stall bring two distinctly different historical references to life within one museum.

The Romanesque crypt of the Museo e Cripta di Sant’Anastasio is also described in terms of specific architectural features: it dates from the 11th century and has three small naves and groin vaults. The Santuario Diocesano della Beata Vergine del Portone, in turn, incorporates the medieval city gate of San Giuliano. A replica of the Lourdes Grotto, created in 1930, is located in its side garden. These places represent different aspects of the city’s history, from medieval architecture to a religious site with a grotto added later.

Museums of art, local history and natural history

The Museo dei Fossili - Paleontologico displays Pliocene remains of whales and dolphins. Among the exhibits described is the Balena di San Marzotto d’Asti, described as a unique specimen worldwide. The museum also explains important geological and paleontological events that shaped the Asti area. Alongside individual fossils, it therefore offers a thematic perspective on the region’s formation.

The Museo del Palio focuses on something different: its exhibition route explores the Palio horse race while also presenting the history of the city of Asti. If you’d like to explore cultural history through more than just buildings and art collections, this route adds the Palio to the picture. Together, the cathedral, palaces and museums offer different points of interest, without limiting your trip to a single era.

Trip planning and regional connections

The Itinerario Asti Medievale can be explored on foot in two days. Keep this stated duration in mind as a separate timeframe when including the medieval route in your trip plans. Access to the Domus Romana is via the Smarticket; ticket regulations may change, so check them before your visit. Asti’s tourist information office is at Piazza Alfieri, opposite a large car park. Check the office’s location again before your trip.

Culinary culture is also part of what’s on offer: at the Festival delle Sagre, each participating Pro-Loco association serves a typical menu at its stand. Outside the city of Asti lies the UNESCO-listed landscape of the Monferrato Astigiano hills, covered in vineyards. This lets you consider Asti’s urban history and the regional landscape as different themes for your stay.

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