Asti, city of art

Asti is a Piedmontese provincial capital; rises 123 meters above sea level and has 74,000 inhabitants. The city preserves intact the glories of a noble as well as prestigious past; at every street corner high towers, squares, arcades and noble palaces are a reminder of the great power that Asti has had over the centuries. In the heart of the city, the town hall and the collegiate church of San Secondo are placed side by side; the first with a white facade preserves inside splendid frescoes including those that reproduce the map of the city in various historical periods, frescoes dating back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The collegiate church of the patron saint stands on the place where tradition has it that San Secondo was martyred. The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption and is the most important religious symbol of the city, one of the most shining examples of Gothic building in all of Piedmont. The oldest part of the building is the bell tower, dating back to the 11th century. The red tower stands as a symbol of the Santa Caterina district and is the most important in the city. Another beautiful tower is the Trojan one with its long and enchanting staircase.