"Asti spumante !" a Asti Travel Page by JLBG

In Piemont, Asti, a city of 78,000 inhabitants, 35 km south east to Turin, is the capital of the province that bears its name. It is a main grape cultivation and wine center. Actually, the name of Asti calls immediately for "Asti spumante" the sparkling Muscat sweet wine produced in the province.

Asti is also known for its "Palio", on the third Sunday of September. It is the oldest Palio in Italy, though it is not so well known than the one in Sienne. The tradition began in the 13th century. It begins in the morning by a procession of more than a thousand citizens, holding flags of each district of the city, all clad in medieval costumes that they keep and improve year after year. In the afternoon, the most interesting part is the "Palio" itself, ie a bareback horse race of heralds representing each of the 21 districts. For each of the qualification rounds, there are 7 contenders per district and 9 for the final race. The winner district will keep for one year the "palio", a velvet sheet bearing the coat of arms of the city.

The city center has an elliptic plan. It has kept a few middle ages towers but there has been much baroque style building and 19th century constructions.