The city of towers and the oldest palio
On the Tanaro river, between the hills of the Langhe and the Monferrato, Asti was in the Middle Ages one of the richest free communes of northern Italy, a city of merchants and bankers who lent money all over Europe, and it still preserves many of the tower houses that earned it the name of "city of a hundred towers". Among them stand out the Torre Troyana, or Clock Tower, 38 metres high, which can be climbed, and the Torre Comentina. The historic centre also has the great Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, one of the largest in Piedmont, the collegiate church of San Secondo, dedicated to the patron saint, and Palazzo Alfieri, birthplace of the poet and playwright Vittorio Alfieri, now a museum.
Asti is famous for its Palio, considered the oldest in Italy: the first documented race dates back to 1275, when the Astigiani ran a palio under the walls of enemy Alba as an act of defiance. Today it is held on the first Sunday of September in the huge Piazza Alfieri, transformed into a track of earth: horses ridden bareback by jockeys representing the city's districts ("borghi" and "rioni") and the surrounding towns compete in heats and a final. The race is preceded by a grand historical parade of over a thousand people in medieval costume. In September Asti also hosts the Douja d'Or, the wine festival, and the Festival delle Sagre, with the dishes of the province's villages.
Tip: book a seat in the stands well in advance for the Palio; on the second Sunday of September the Festival delle Sagre fills the city with traditional food.
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