What is Castagnole delle Lanze known for?

Moscato Bianco for Asti Spumante and Barbera d'Asti, with Dolcetto and Chardonnay, on hills inside the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape. Nineteenth-century panoramic tower built by Count Paolo Ballada di San Robert as his private astronomical observatory. Tonda Gentile hazelnut groves on the slopes around the village; the commune is a member of the Città della Nocciola network.

Where is Castagnole delle Lanze?

Castagnole delle Lanze is a comune in the province of Asti, Piedmont region of Italy, about 76 kilometers from Torino.

Piedmont · Asti

Castagnole delle Lanze

An Asti hill townbetween Langhe and Monferrato, with two Baroque churches and a nineteenth-century astronomical tower.

76 km / 47 mi

Nearest hub (Torino)

3,661

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Castagnole delle Lanze sitsbetween the Langhe and Monferrato hills, fifteen kilometers south of Asti, in the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont. A Roman road branching off the Via Aemilia ran between Acqui and Pollenzo through this ground. In the Middle Ages the lands belonged to the counts of Loreto, with Manfredo I as the count most tied to the community; the medieval castle, residence of the count, was probably destroyed in 1255 when the contado fell, and from the thirteenth century the town passed under the Comune of Asti. On the main square stands the Chiesa di San Pietro in Vincoli, built in 1681, a Ligurian-Piedmontese Baroque parish with twin façade. Nearby, the Chiesa della Confraternita dei Battuti Bianchi from 1668 has been deconsecrated and now hosts cultural events. At the top of the Parco della Rimembranza rises a panoramic tower built by Count Paolo Ballada di San Robert in the second half of the nineteenth century as his astronomical observatory. The hills grow Moscato, Barbera, Dolcetto and Chardonnay.

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Gallery

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Known for

Chiesa di San Pietro in Vincoli
Parish church of 1681 on the main square, Ligurian-Piedmontese Baroque with a twin-bell-tower façade.
Chiesa dei Battuti Bianchi
Confraternity church of 1668 in Piazza Balbo, deconsecrated and now used as a space for cultural events.
Torre di San Robert
Panoramic tower at the top of the Parco della Rimembranza, built by Count Paolo Ballada di San Robert as a nineteenth-century astronomical observatory.
Parco della Rimembranza
Public park on the highest point of the village, with the San Robert tower and a panorama over the Tinella and Tanaro valleys.
Filari di Barbera
Vineyards of the Adotta un filare initiative, where ten meters of Barbera d'Asti rows are leased in exchange for ten bottles of Lanze wine.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June brings the vines into leaf and the Tinella valley into clear light, with the Torre di San Robert opening on weekends. September and October are harvest, the high season for the Langhe-Monferrato hills and the time the Adotta un filare initiative runs its tastings. July and August get hot on the south-facing slopes; mornings in the Parco della Rimembranza and evenings on the main piazza are the cooler hours. November through March is quiet. Many small wineries hold tastings by appointment only, but Baroque churches stay open, and winter fog along the Tanaro turns the hill into an island.