Cisterna D'asti: Castle, Churches and Wine

If you are planning a hotel stay in Cisterna D'asti, you can explore the town through its cultural and wine connections. The Castello and its museum, two churches with different historical details, and a local wine tasting offer distinct points of interest. In addition, Cisterna d'Asti is geographically and geologically part of Roero. This brings together specific architectural and museum details with a regional context in the Province of Asti and Roero.

Castle Museum in the Castello di Cisterna d'Asti

The Castello di Cisterna d'Asti houses the Museo Arti e Mestieri di un Tempo. It was inaugurated on 4 October 1980 on the ground floor of the castle. The Italian title can be understood approximately as “Arts and Crafts of Times Past.” The museum comprises the Antiche Cantine, Piano Nobile and Piano Sottotetto sections. The names provide a sense of their locations: Antiche Cantine means old cellars, while Piano Sottotetto means attic floor; Piano Nobile is the architectural term for a principal floor. The inauguration date and the names of the sections complement one another: the date places the museum's history in time, while the three names divide the areas identified within the castle.

Churches and their history

The parish church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius was rebuilt in 1575 with two naves. Two naves describe the structural layout of the church interior and make the form of the rebuilding more specific than a year alone. The same parish church houses an organ by Giuseppe Gandini of Varese, dating from 1926. The Church of San Giuseppe was built by the Disciplinants in 1636. Chronologically, this construction falls between the rebuilding of the parish church and the organ dated 1926. The sequence of years—1575, 1636, 1926—places the details about the two church buildings and the date of the instrument as distinct historical reference points.

Roero affiliation and wine

Cisterna d'Asti is the only municipality in the Province of Asti that is geographically and geologically part of Roero. The town can therefore be understood through two distinct points of reference: its affiliation with the Province of Asti and its geographical and geological connection with Roero. This particular classification is narrowly defined: it applies to Cisterna d'Asti as a municipality, not to the province as a whole.

The local wine scene also includes the Bottega del Vino, where Cisterna d'Asti DOC can be tasted. The wine is produced either as a single-varietal wine from Croatina grapes or with a Croatina proportion of at least 80 percent. The second figure sets a minimum, not a fixed proportion; this makes clear the distinction between the single-varietal version and wine produced with at least four-fifths Croatina. If you plan to visit for a tasting, check the opening arrangements before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Castelnuovo Belbo, Villafranca D'asti, Frinco, Cornalea, Mombercelli, Costigliole Dʼasti, San Damiano D'asti, Soglio.

For the broader travel overview: Asti.