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59-821: The name comes from the Roero family of bankers and traders, who were prominent in the political life of Asti and its environs, and who dominated this area for a number of centuries during the Middle Ages . The designated zone of production for the DOCG wines Roero and Roero Arneis is a subset of this territory which comprises the communes of Castellinaldo , Canale , Corneliano d’Alba , Piobesi d’Alba and Vezza d’Alba , plus parts of Baldissero d'Alba , Castagnito , Guarene , Govone , Magliano Alfieri , Montà , Monteu Roero , Pocapaglia , Priocca , Santa Vittoria d'Alba , Santo Stefano Roero and Sommariva Perno . The territory lies to

118-474: A comune is officially called a commune in French. The comune provides essential public services: registry of births and deaths, registry of deeds , and maintenance of local roads and public works. Many comuni have a Polizia Comunale ( lit.   ' Communal Police ' ), which is responsible for public order duties. The comune also deal with the definition and compliance with

177-644: A bare-back horse race. This event recalls a victory in battle versus the rival city Alba , during the Middle Ages after the victorious battle a race was held around Alba's walls, and from then on every year in Asti. Asti's Palio is the oldest recorded one in Italy, and in modern times is held in the triangular Piazza Alfieri preceded by a medieval pageant through the old town on the 3rd Sunday of September. The three neighbouring Provinces of Asti, Cuneo , and Alessandria incorporate

236-448: A building usually called the municipio , or palazzo comunale ( lit.   ' town hall ' ). As of January 2021, there were 7,904 comuni in Italy; they vary considerably in size and population. For example, the comune of Rome , in Lazio , has an area of 1,287.36 km (497.05 sq mi) and a population of 2,758,454 inhabitants, and is both the largest and

295-813: A comune as rione ( Italian: [riˈoːne] ; pl. : rioni ) or contrade . The term originated from the administrative divisions of Rome, and is derived from the Latin word regio ( pl. : regiones ), meaning "region". All currently extant rioni are located in Municipio I of Rome. The term has been adopted as a synonym of quartiere in the Italian comuni . Terzieri , quartieri , sestieri , rioni , and their analogues are usually no longer administrative divisions of these towns, but historical and traditional communities, seen especially in towns' annual Palio . A terziere ( pl. : terzieri )

354-552: A direct subject of the French Crown . The situation changed in the early 16th century, during the wars between Charles V and Francis I of France . In 1526 it was besieged in vain by Charles' condottiero Fabrizio Maramaldo . Three years later, the Treaty of Cambrai assigned Asti to the German emperor, who in turn gave it to the viceroy of Naples. Later the city was included in the dowry that

413-554: A section of Roman wall in the center of the city. The area to the northwest of the city, between the centre and the cathedral, is rich in medieval palaces and merchants' houses, many with monumental towers. Asti was known as the city of 100 towers (although there were 120 in total) of which several still remain, among them, the Tower of the Comentini (13th century), the octagonal Torre de Regibus and Torre Troyana (13th century), as well as

472-526: A separate ruler, through the arbitration of Venice, which were known as sestieri . The island of Crete , a Venetian colony (the Kingdom of Candia ) from the Fourth Crusade , was also divided into six parts, named after the sestieri of Venice herself, while the capital Candia retained the status of a comune of Venice. The island of Burano north of Venice is also subdivided into sestieri . A variation of

531-599: A synonymous of neighbourhood, and an Italian town can be now subdivided into a larger number of quartieri . The Swiss town of Lugano (in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino) is also subdivided into quarters. The English word quarter to mean an urban neighbourhood (e.g. the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana) is derived from the cognate old French word quartier . A sestiere ( pl. : sestieri )

590-400: Is twinned with: Comune A comune ( Italian: [koˈmuːne] ; pl. : comuni , Italian: [koˈmuːni] ) is an administrative division of Italy , roughly equivalent to a township or municipality . It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ( regioni ) and provinces ( province ). The comune can also have

649-567: Is a comune (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italian region of Piedmont , about 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Turin , in the plain of the Tanaro River . It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deemed to be the modern capital of Montferrat . People have lived in and around what is now Asti since the Neolithic period. Before their defeat in 174 BC by

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708-470: Is a list of the largest comuni in Italy, in descending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The provincial capitals are highlighted in bold. The following is a list of the smallest comuni in Italy, in ascending order of surface area, according to ISTAT data referring to 9 October 2011. The following is a list of the first comuni by altitude, in descending order. The indicated altitude coincides with

767-475: Is a local truffle festival. The main football club of the town was Asti Calcio F.C. (ex-A.C.D. Asti), which folded in 2017. Another football club, A.S.D. Colline Alfieri Don Bosco (ex-A.C. Celle, from Celle Enomondo ), relocated to the city and was renamed to "A.S.D. Alfieri Asti" in 2017. Since 2019 it was known as A.S.D. Asti . Former futsal league champion, A.S.D. Asti Calcio a 5 is also based in Asti. Asti railway station , opened in 1849, forms part of

826-454: Is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from sesto ( lit.   ' sixth ' ), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the sestieri of Venice , but Ascoli Piceno , Genoa , Milan and Rapallo , for example, were also divided into sestieri . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also at times divided into six districts, each with

885-592: Is a subdivision of several towns in Italy . The word derives from terzo ( lit.   ' third ' ) and is thus used only for towns divided into three neighborhoods. Terzieri are most commonly found in Umbria , for example in Trevi , Spello , Narni and Città della Pieve ; towns divided into terzieri in other regions include Lucca in Tuscany , and Ancona and Macerata in

944-700: Is granted to comuni that have been awarded it by decree of the King of Italy (until 1946) or of the provisional head of state (from 1946 to 1948) or, subsequently, of the President of the Republic (after 1948), on the proposal of the Ministry of the Interior , to which the comune concerned sends an application for a concession, by virtue of their historical, artistic, civic or demographic importance. The comuni endowed with

1003-553: Is made solely from the moscato bianco white muscat grape . Other wines include a premium version known as Moscato d'Asti (DOCG) and the red Barbera . The first products from the province of Asti to become known internationally are Martini and Rossi , Gancia and Riccadonna, which made commercial wines like Asti Spumante; red wines such as Barbera d'Asti, Freisa d'Asti, Grignolino d'Asti, Bonarda , Grignolino and Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato are also becoming widespread worldwide. These wines and many others can be sampled during

1062-411: The frazioni , but the comune still retains the name of the capoluogo . In some cases, a comune might not have the same name of capoluogo . In these cases, it is a comune sparso ( lit.   ' dispersed comune ' ) and the frazione which hosts the town hall ( municipio ) is a sede municipale (compare county seat ). Some towns refer to neighborhoods within

1121-424: The piano regolatore generale ( lit.   ' general regulator plan ' ), a document that regulates the building activity within the communal area. All communal structures or schools, sports and cultural structures such as communal libraries, theaters, etc. are managed by the comuni . Comuni must have their own communal statute and have a climatic and seismic classification of their territory for

1180-611: The Alps was cut off by the Gothic cavalry. This forced him to take emergency refuge in the city of Hasta until more Roman troops could be assembled in Italy. The Goths placed Hasta under siege until March when General Stilicho , bringing reinforcements from the Rhine , fought and defeated them at the Battle of Pollentia . After this first victorious defence, thanks to a massive line of walls, Hasta suffered from

1239-463: The Langhe and Monferrato Hills region in the centre of Piedmont, limestone and sandstone deposits laid down by the retreating Adriatic some 5 million years ago , and are home to some of Italy's most known red wines, plus some white ones. Asti is the centre of production of the sparkling Asti ( DOCG , often known as Asti Spumante ). Asti is typically sweet and low in alcohol (often below 8%). It

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1298-480: The Marches . The medieval Lordship of Negroponte , on the island of Euboea , was also divided into three distinct rulerships, which were known as terzieri . A quartiere ( Italian: [kwarˈtjɛːre] ; pl. : quartieri ) is a territorial subdivision, properly used, for towns divided into four neighborhoods ( quarto ; lit.   ' fourth ' ) by the two main roads. It has been later used as

1357-1325: The Turin–Genoa and Castagnole–Asti–Mortara railways. It is also a junction for two other lines, to Genoa and Chivasso , respectively. People from Asti include: The Asti comune consists of the following frazioni : Casabianca, Castiglione, Mombarone, Montegrosso, Montemarzo, Poggio D'Asti, Quarto D'Asti, Revignano, San Marzanotto, Serravalle, Sessant, Stazione Di Portacomaro, Vaglierano, Valgera, Valleandona, Valletanaro, Variglie, Viatosto, Avidano, Baciglio, Balestrino, Barbantana, Belangero, Beneficio-Stangona, Biamini, Bramairate, Bricchetto, Bricco Modena, Briccolino, Burie, Cà Dei Coppi, Carretti, Cascin Ruasin, Cascina Angelo, Cascina Conti, Cascina Fanfarina, Cascina Fontana, Cascina Gioia, Cascina Stella, Cascine Artiglione, Cascine Roasio, Ceresa, Cravera, Distretto, Fornaca, Ghirlandina, Gianotti, Giberto, Lama-Garoppa, Madonna Di Caniglie, Madonna Di Viatosto, Malandroni, Manina, Manzoni, Matei, Meridiana, Olivero, Palucco, Quaranta, Quarto, Roccaschiavino, Rocche Di Callianetto, Rossi, San Giuseppe, San Grato, San Marzanotto Piana, San Sebastiano, Stazione Di Sessant, Torrazzo, Vaglierano Basso, Vairo, Valcossana-Grilletto, Valenzani, Valfea, Valmairone, Vareglio. Asti

1416-576: The Visigoths had invaded northern Italy and were advancing on Mediolanum (modern Milan ) which was the imperial capital at that time. Honorius , the young emperor and a resident in that city, unable to wait for promised reinforcements any longer, was compelled to flee from Milan for safety in the city of Arles in Gaul . However, just after his convoy had left Milan and crossed the River Po his escape route through

1475-622: The province of Isernia has 81,415 inhabitants in 52  comuni , or 1,640 inhabitants per comune – roughly 24 times more communal units per inhabitant. The coats of arms of the comuni are assigned by decree of the Prime Minister of Italy by the Office of State Ceremonial and Honors, Honors and Heraldry Service (division of the Presidency of the Council born from the transformation of

1534-513: The title of città ( lit.   ' city ' ). Formed praeter legem according to the principles consolidated in medieval municipalities , the comune is provided for by article 114 of the Constitution of Italy . It can be divided into frazioni , which in turn may have limited power due to special elective assemblies. In the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley ,

1593-599: The Astigiani troops were defeated at the Battle of Cassano , but, on December 12, 1275, were victorious over the Angevins at the Battle of Roccavione , ending Charles' attempt to expand in Piedmont. In the 1290s, after William VII had also been defeated, Asti was the most powerful city in Piedmont. However, internal struggles for the control of trading and banking enterprises soon divided the city into factions. The most prominent faction

1652-649: The Augustan Regio IX , favoured by its strategic position on the Tanaro river and on the Via Fulvia , which linked Derthona ( Tortona ) to Augusta Taurinorum ( Turin ). Other roads connected the city to the main passes for what are today Switzerland and France . The city was crucial during the early stages of the barbarian invasions which stormed Italy during the fall of the Western Roman Empire . In early 402 AD,

1711-509: The Romans, tribes of Ligures , the Statielli , dominated the area and the toponym probably derives from Ast which means "hill" in the ancient Celtic language . In 124 BC the Romans built a castrum , or fortified camp, which eventually evolved into a full city named Hasta. In 89 BC the city received the status of colonia , and in 49 BC that of municipium . Asti became an important city of

1770-490: The Royal Consulta Araldica , eliminated pursuant to the provisions final of the Constitution of Italy ). Administrative subdivisions within comuni vary according to their population size. Comuni with at least 250,000 residents are divided into circoscrizioni (roughly equivalent to French arrondissements or London boroughs ) to which the comune delegates administrative functions like

1829-550: The SS 661 state road which runs through the communes of Bra , Sanfrè and Sommariva del Bosco . The communes which fall, partly or entirely within Roero are thus: Roero is a recognized wine-making area of the Province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region; along with its neighbours Langhe and Monferrato it forms the “Distretto Langhe, Roero e Monferrato” wine district. Roero wines include

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1888-683: The Savoyard government. On July 28 the Repubblica Astese was declared. However, it was suppressed only two days later. The revolutionary chiefs were arrested and executed. The following year the Savoyards were expelled from Piedmont by the French revolutionary army , and Asti was occupied by general Montrichard. After a short reversal, the French returned after the victory at Marengo (1800) near to Alessandra. Napoleon himself visited Asti on April 29, 1805, but

1947-555: The Sunday of the Sagre, all the towns involved stage a parade with floats depicting traditional farming with everyone in costume along Asti's roads to reach "Campo del Palio" square. Asti province becomes a gourmand's delight from October to December in the white truffle or "tartufo bianco" season. Although neighbouring Alba is better known for its October truffle fair, some of the best truffles are found around Asti's hills, and every weekend there

2006-502: The ancient Torre Rossa , built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus . Asti is the home to several old churches. These include: There is a synagogue and a museum depicting the history of Asti's Jewish community, whose presence is documented since 812. One of the most famous events held in Asti is the famous Palio di Asti , in which all the old town wards, called "Rioni" and "Borghi" plus nearby towns compete in

2065-624: The barbarian invasions which stormed Italy after the fall of the Western Empire , and declined economically. In the second half of the 6th century, it was chosen as a seat for one of the 36 Duchies in which the Lombards divided Italy. The territory of Asti comprised a wide area, stretching out to Albenga and the Maritime Alps . This remained when northern Italy was conquered by the Franks in 774, with

2124-514: The capital of the province of Reggio Emilia , in the Emilia-Romagna region, and Reggio di Calabria , the capital of the homonymous metropolitan city , in the Calabria region. Many other towns or villages are likewise partial homonyms (e.g. Anzola dell'Emilia and Anzola d'Ossola , or Bagnara Calabra and Bagnara di Romagna ). The title of città ( lit.   ' city ' ) in Italy

2183-477: The city in 1643. Another unsuccessful Spanish siege occurred in 1650. In November 1703, during the War of Spanish Succession , Asti fell to France again; it was reconquered in 1705 by Victor Amadeus II . In 1745 French troops invaded the city once more, but it was liberated the following year. In 1797 the Astigiani, enraged by the continuous military campaigns and by their resulting poor economic situation, revolted against

2242-416: The coalition of the elected mayor (who needs a relative majority or an absolute majority in the first or second round of voting, depending on the population) gains three fifths of the consiglio 's seats. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori , one of whom serves as deputy mayor ( vicesindaco ). The offices of the comune are housed in

2301-609: The lands of the bishop and other local feudatories, the latter sued for help to Frederick Barbarossa , who presented under the city walls with a huge army in February 1155. After a short siege, Asti was stormed and burnt. Subsequently, Asti adhered to the Lombard League (1169) against the German emperor, but was again defeated in 1174. Despite this, after the Peace of Constance (1183), the city gained further privileges. The 13th century saw

2360-421: The most populated. Atrani in the province of Salerno ( Campania ) was the smallest comune by area, with only 0.1206 km (0.0466 sq mi), and Morterone ( Lombardy ) is the smallest by population. Many present-day comuni trace their roots along timescales spanning centuries and at times millennia. The northernmost comune is Predoi , the southernmost one Lampedusa e Linosa ,

2419-610: The new burgs of the city. In 1345, at the Battle of Gamenario , the Ghibelline Astigiani and John II of Montferrat again defeated the Neapolitan troops. John ruled over Asti until 1372, but seven years later the city council submitted to Galeazzo II Visconti 's authority. Galeazzo in turn assigned it to Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans . With the exception of several brief periods under Visconti, Montferrat and Sforza rule, Asti remained under Valois control; it eventually became

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2478-403: The north of Alba . The river Tanaro marks its southern border, dividing it from the Langhe . To the north-east its informal boundary with Monferrato follows approximately the line of the border between the provinces of Cuneo and Asti , although Cisterna d’Asti can be taken to be part of Roero. To the north-west it is confined by the province of Turin . To the west its border is taken to be

2537-402: The part of Asti's neighbouring states over the excessive power gained by the city, which had captured Alba and controlled both Chieri and Turin. This state of affairs led to the intervention of Charles I of Anjou , then King of Naples and the most powerful man in Italy. After some guerrilla actions, Asti signed a pact of alliance with Pavia , Genoa and William VII of Montferrat . In 1274

2596-660: The peak of the Astigiani economic and cultural splendour, only momentarily hindered by wars against Alba , Alessandria , Savoy , Milan (which besieged the city in 1230) and the Marquesses of Montferrat and Saluzzo . In particular, the commune aimed to gain control over the lucrative trade routes leading northwards from the Ligurian ports. In this period, the rise of the Casane Astigiane resulted in contrasting political familial alliances of Guelph and Ghibelline supporters. During

2655-466: The purposes of hazard mitigation and civil protection . Comuni also deal with the waste management . It is headed by a mayor ( sindaco or sindaca ) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale ( lit.   ' communal council ' ), and an executive body, the giunta comunale ( lit.   ' communal committee ' ). The mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are elected together by resident citizens:

2714-432: The red Roero, as well as the white Roero Arneis , and sparkling white Roero Arneis Spumante . The name "Roero" lacking any further specification is reserved for red wines made from a minimum of 95% Nebbiolo grapes with the addition of 2%–5% of non-aromatic red varieties. Roero must be aged in cellars for twenty months, six of them in wooden barrels, while Roero riserva (reserve) must be aged at least 32 months total, with

2773-443: The running of schools, social services and waste collection; the delegated functions vary from comune to comune . These bodies are headed by an elected president and a local council. Smaller comuni usually comprise: Sometimes a frazione might be more populated than the capoluogo ; and rarely, owing to unusual circumstances (like depopulation), the town hall and its administrative functions can be moved to one of

2832-892: The same minimum of six months spent in wood. Nebbiolo has 194.90 hectares dedicated to it in Roero. Meanwhile, Roero Arneis and Roero Arneis Spumante are made from 95% Arneis grapes with the rest from non-aromatic white varieties of the Piedmonte region. The Arneis grape variety has 832.89 hectares of vineyards devoted to it in Roero. Roero became a DOC region in 1985 and a DOCG region in 2005. Other wines produced include Barbera d'Alba, Birbèt, Bonarda, Favorita, Moscato d'Asti and Nebbiolo d'Alba. 44°42′00″N 7°51′00″E  /  44.7000°N 7.8500°E  / 44.7000; 7.8500 Asti Asti ( UK : / ˈ æ s t i / AST -ee , US : / ˈ ɑː s t i / AH -stee ; Italian: [ˈasti] ; Piedmontese : Ast [ˈɑst] )

2891-422: The second half of the century, Bishop Otto tried to resist the aims of the powerful countess Adelaide of Susa , who damaged the city several times. During Otto's reign, a commune and the consul magistrates are mentioned for the first time (1095). Asti was one of the first free communes of Italy, and in 1140 received the right to mint coins of its own by Conrad II . As the commune, however, had begun to erode

2950-406: The spring and autumn; during the hottest months, rain is less common, but stronger when it does occur, usually in thunderstorms. During November and December in particular, the town of Asti can be prone to fog, which is less common in the higher-altitude areas that surround it. Sections of the ancient city walls remain on the north side of the city and in the late 20th century building work uncovered

3009-429: The title of città usually carry the golden crown above their coat of arms, except with different provisions in the decree approving the coat of arms or in the presence). "The crown of the city ([...]) is formed by a golden circle opened by eight city gates (five visible) with two cordoned walls on the margins, supporting eight towers (five visible) joined by curtain walls, all in gold and black walled." The following

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3068-490: The title of County. In the late Carolingian age, Asti was ruled directly by his bishops, who were the main landlords of the area. Most important are Audax (904-926) and Bruningus (937-966), who moved the episcopal seat to the Castel Vecchio ("Old Castle"), where it remained until 1409. The bishopric of Asti remained a powerful entity well into the 11th century when Pietro II received huge privileges by emperor Henry II . In

3127-617: The wars led by Emperor Frederick II in northern Italy, the city chose his side: Asti was defeated by the Guelphs of Alessandria at Quattordio and Clamandrana, but thanks to Genoese help, it recovered easily. After Frederick's death, the struggle against Thomas II of Savoy became fierce: the Astigiani defeated him on February 23, 1255, at the Battle of Montebruno , but Thomas (who had been taken prisoner) replied ordering all traders from Asti to be arrested in Savoy and France . This move showed worry on

3186-569: The week-long Douja d'Or wine exhibition which is held at the same time as the Palio and Sagre. The first documentation on the variety Freisa d'Asti are from the beginning of the 16th century. Asti is also famous for its Asti's Festival of Festivals , held in September a week before the Palio. During the festival most of the towns in Asti's province meet in a great square called "Campo del Palio", they offer typical food and wine for which they are known. On

3245-522: The westernmost Bardonecchia and the easternmost Otranto . The comune with the longest name is San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore , while the comuni with the shortest name are Lu , Ro , Ne , Re and Vo' . The population density of the comuni varies widely by province and region . The province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , for example, has 381,091 inhabitants in 10 comuni , or over 39,000 inhabitants per comune ; whereas

3304-427: The word is occasionally found: the comune of Leonessa , for example, is divided into sesti or sixths. There are not many perfect homonymous comuni . There are only six cases in 12 comuni : This is mostly due to the fact the name of the province or region was appended to the name of the comune in order to avoid the confusion. Two provincial capitals share the name Reggio : Reggio nell'Emilia ,

3363-457: Was given to Beatrice of Portugal when she married Charles III of Savoy . Asti was one of the main Savoyard strongholds in later wars. In 1616, besieged by the Spanish governor of Milan, it was defended by Duke Charles Emmanuel I himself. In 1630–31, the city suffered a high mortality rate from an outbreak of the plague . Some years later Asti was conquered by the Spanish, although Savoy regained

3422-518: Was received rather coldly by the citizens. The city was demoted and incorporated with Alessandra under the department of Marengo. After the end of the French empire, Asti returned to Piedmont in 1814; the city followed Piedmontese history until the unification of Italy in 1861. Asti has a continental climate which is moderated by the proximity of the Mediterranean sea: its winters are warmer, and its summers cooler than Turin . Rain falls mostly during

3481-521: Was the powerful bankers of the Solari family, who, in 1314, gave the city to king Robert of Naples . The free Republic of Asti ceased to exist. In 1339 the Ghibelline exiles recaptured the city, expelling the Solari and their allies. In 1342 however, the menace of the Solari counteroffensive led the new rulers to submit to Luchino Visconti of Milan. Visconti built a citadel and a second ring of walls to protect

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