"Asti" a Asti Travel Page by piccolina

Asti is an artistic town and an important wine production centre. It deserves a visit in order to discover its ancient medieval palaces and the historical suburb. The sacred buildings are magnificent: The Cathedral, one of the most important Gothic Churches in the zone, the San Secondo Collegiate Church, the San Pietro and San Paolo Rotunda, which is a complex constituted by a XII century Palace and the San Pietro Baptistery which has a particular octagonal shape. The folklore in Asti is rich in hints and traditions which have deep roots in medieval history and rural culture. The Palio is celebrated in September, it is a rousing race in which the horses are ridden bareback and the town suburbs compete one against the other. The Douja d'Or is a tasting session and sale of the best great wines of the province. We should not forget that Asti is linked to a long wine tradition. There is, in fact, the production of two prestigious wines of controlled and guaranteed denomination: the Asti Spumante, obtained from the pressing of Moscato grapes and the Asti Moscato. Many other kind of wines from Dolcetto to Barbera can be tasted in the numerous little or big wineries of the area.