A hundred towers, a thousand poems... A day in Asti. Trip to Piedmont region, Italy

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"Come, come, come away with me," sings Paolo Conte, and this time we have taken literally the words of the famous song, visit Veneda Asti, the birthplace of the great songwriter.
Formerly known as the city of hundred towers, Asti, free city in the Middle Ages, it was always an important center of artistic, commercial banking and also thanks to the so-called Casana, the banks which engaged in currency exchange and loan pawnbroker.
Famous for its wines, including sparkling wine, Asti, the city hosts each year of a major wine competition, the Douja D'Or. But the space between the medieval tradition is the most beautiful events of the city, thanks to the ancient Palio, which takes place in September.
We begin our walk into town from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built in traditional red brick baked in an earlier basilica, and its interior contains works by important painters and sculptors from Asti. In 1535, however, in the Collegiate Church of San Secondo, there was a miracle of the Eucharist: the breaking of the consecrated host at Mass, would be drops of blood drops in the chalice and paten.
Asti also gave birth to one of the most important intellectuals of the eighteenth century poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri, who is now dedicated a city square. But what about writers, is also versatile Asti Giorgio Faletti. When we arrive at the Palace chain, an important medieval building in the city, we meet a woman who tells a story that reminds us of the mysterious atmosphere of Faletti's books: in this building's ghost still lives Iginia d'Asti, the protagonist of a tragedy of Silvio Pellico. If this were true, Iginia would be in good company, because legend has it that the center is another vague feminine spirit, the Countess dell'irrequieta Adelaide, descendant of Arduino d'Ivrea, King of Italy in the tenth century.
If the story here is breathed on every corner, this also applies to the street where is located the restaurant where we stopped to sample the local specialties, we are at Ristorante Campanaro, being According to Aro, a stone's throw from the main street of city. Aro, a lawyer and patriot, was the heroic Asti President of the Republic, proclaimed in 1797 following a riot because of the scarcity of grain. The Revolution Asti was then tragically wiped out, but remains an important chapter in the history of the city.
Maintained with love and imagination from Duilio and Susanna, the bell, called "Little Restaurant in Town" is a warm, family atmosphere where you can taste many specialties. "This restaurant was born two years ago from a dream of ours, to express themselves in the kitchen and Susanna from a local mine to reopen in the city, after a period in which work in the countryside outside Asti. In preparation of our dishes we use only the highest quality products in Piedmont, "he tells Mr Duilio while we sit at the table. From the antipasti we caught up nicely in a world of authentic and full of taste: start with the raw meat in the Monferrato area, with a bowl of white meat marinated in sweet wine, stuffed with pistachios and prunes, as well as the excellent veal with tuna sauce. "The revised prepare our way, with the sauce, mayonnaise and meat cooked in a special way, which does not alter its color ee her perfume," explains Mrs. Susanna. Our friends a taste of the season instead of hot appetizers, the baked vegetables, pies with leeks and gorgonzola, as well as onions stuffed Castelmagno egg en cocotte with white truffle. Turning to the first, we do not reject certain all'agnolotto hunchback, homemade, like all our meals in the room. Let's agnolotti Monferrato and gnocchi served with sausage and cream sauce of pumpkin and sage. Since we are in Asti on the ancient salt route, many fish are part of the tradition, so also try the lasagna cod. We spare neither as regards the latter, and we are divided between the wild boar stew with prunes, tripe, a specialty of Mrs. Susanna, and braised beef with Barbera. Washed down with wines from Piedmont, chosen from about 180 proposals from local labels. We close in sweetness, with the Bavarian pear, hazelnut mousse, in addition to the delicious pies that Mrs. Susanna prepared fresh every day.
After a day so pleasant, people will ask us how Asti, Paolo Conte risponederemo always: "It's wonderful, it's wonderful, it's wonderful: it is wonderful."

Frances Bertha

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.campanaro.it
www.comune.Asti.it
Restaurant Campanari
Piccolo Restaurant in Town
According to Aro Street, 30 Asti
0141/33252
Closed Wednesdays