Discover San Michele

San Michele can be explored through its architectural history, regional character and landscape. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can choose the focus of your trip based on local themes: are you interested in churches and historic residences, a signposted trail or local produce? San Michele offers a range of starting points. The following topics can help you plan the focus of your stay.

Churches and castle history

The Church of San Michele dates mainly from the 13th century. Its features include a semicircular apse and medieval lancet windows. An apse is the semicircular end of a church interior; lancet windows are narrow, pointed windows. These terms refer to different architectural elements and offer concrete starting points if you are interested in the town’s architecture.

The castle on San Michele’s main square was built in the 14th century and later redesigned in the Neo-Gothic style. This brings together two points in time: the castle’s construction and a later change to its design. Castello Raggi, in the San Michele district, is another building with a history of its own. It was converted into a stately residence and retains parts of its medieval structure. Castello Raggi also has a park.

Local history and parish church

The first records of San Michele date from the 12th century. At that time, the bishop gave the village to the Benedictine nuns of Sant’Anastasio d’Asti. The village is said to have developed in the mid-12th century around the parish church dedicated to Saint Michael. The local history thus includes both an early record of the donation and an account of how the village came into being. For a cultural-history-focused stay, this distinction provides a useful point of reference in time.

Landscape, trail and prehistoric discovery

San Michele and Dusino both lie on the edge of the Villanova d’Asti plateau, before the land slopes down towards the valleys of the Traversola and Stanavasso streams. This landscape description applies to both villages that make up the municipality. It places San Michele in a broader geographical context, rather than referring only to a single district.

The Cammino di Rino is signposted within the municipality of Dusino San Michele. The trail begins at the site where the fossil skeleton was found. A complete skeleton of the prehistoric rhinoceros Rhinoceros etruscus was discovered in this municipality. This adds a much more distant time scale to the medieval architectural and local history. If you are planning your trip mainly around cultural themes, the churches and historic buildings are suitable starting points; the Cammino di Rino offers a different focus, following a trail within the municipality.

Regional produce and cuisine

Local produce and food culture also offer two specific points of reference. The “cossot” is a courgette from Dusino San Michele and has De.Co. certification, short for Denominazione Comunale. “Cussot e gugalè” is the name of a local dish made with gnocchi and courgettes. The comparison makes clear the difference between a named local product and a prepared dish. If you are interested in regional cuisine, these names offer a specific insight into the town’s culinary identity.

Choose San Michele based on a specific travel interest. If you are planning to visit a particular historic building or the park, check in advance whether visits are possible.

Discover more destinations: Castelnuovo Don Bosco, San Paolo Solbrito, Camerano Casasco, Penango, Montemagno, Scurzolengo, Cantarana, Cassinasco.

For the broader travel overview: Asti.