Discover Montafia: churches, art and fossils

Montafia combines architectural and artistic history with a landscape whose geological features are clearly visible. In the hamlet of Bagnasco, medieval remains meet churches from different centuries; in the town center, Palazzo Liberty shapes the streetscape. There is also art on a historic façade, a memorial avenue and traces of the area’s fossil history. When choosing a hotel in Montafia, these themes can help you decide which aspects of the destination you would like to make a particular part of your stay.

Churches from different eras

San Dionigi is a three-aisled Neoclassical church; its remarkable portal dates from the 18th century. The three-aisled layout describes the organization of the church interior, while the portal adds its own historical accent. San Rocco was completely rebuilt in its current Neo-Gothic form in the 1930s. In Bagnasco, the church of the holy martyrs Biagio and Giorgio dates from the late 16th century. The different periods represented therefore range from the late 16th century to an 18th-century portal and the rebuilding of the 1930s.

Medieval traces and art in Bagnasco

The ruins of a medieval castle are visible in Bagnasco. The Gothic entrance arch is a testament to the town’s earliest past. The medieval part of town is also home to the birthplace of painter Francesco Bulgarelli. It retains visible façade decorations with sgraffito and paintings from the first half of the 20th century. The castle ruins and Gothic arch thus stand alongside a later layer of local art: the surviving decorations on the painter’s birthplace.

The church of San Giorgio is located in the cemetery of the hamlet of Bagnasco. It has three naves and three apses; the old church also contains valuable frescoes. The architecture and paintings offer different clues for understanding the building: its spatial layout and the frescoes as artistic decoration.

Montafia’s geological features

Pliocene outcrops extend in Montafia from the town center to the hamlets of Vignole and Bagnasco. Remains of two baleen whales offer another specific example of the local geology. They are embedded in Montafia’s sediments and have been exposed by the hills’ yellow sand layers. The outcrops indicate the geographical extent of the geological feature; the whale remains add a notable paleontological discovery.

Other facets of the town

Palazzo Liberty is an Art Nouveau building that shapes the center of Montafia. The Viale della Rimembranza offers a different form of remembrance: it consists of about a hundred lime trees planted in memory of those who fell in the First World War. An equipped picnic area with tables and benches is located by the Cappella della Madonna di Vignole.

Truffles are also among the things associated with Montafia. The Picolandia association’s activities include technical, educational and demonstration initiatives to promote knowledge of truffles, their discovery and their identification. Together with the architecture, façade decorations and geological features, these elements create a multifaceted picture to help you choose a stay in Montafia.

Discover more destinations: Montabone, Penango, Calliano, Villanova d'Asti, Antignano, Boglietto, Villa, Vaglio Serra

For the overview of the wider area: Asti.