Piedmont · Asti
Castagnole delle Lanze
An Asti hill town between Langhe and Monferrato, with two Baroque churches and a nineteenth-century astronomical tower.
Known for
BARBERA & MOSCATO
Moscato Bianco for Asti Spumante and Barbera d'Asti, with Dolcetto and Chardonnay, on hills inside the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape.
TORRE DI SAN ROBERT
Nineteenth-century panoramic tower built by Count Paolo Ballada di San Robert as his private astronomical observatory.
NOCCIOLA
Tonda Gentile hazelnut groves on the slopes around the village; the commune is a member of the Città della Nocciola network.
CANELLI
The commune also lies inside the Canelli DOCG production zone.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J8°
- F12°
- M14°
- A18°
- M21°
- J27°
- J30°
- A30°
- S24°
- O19°
- N12°
- D7°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Pietro, 29 June
Why come
Fifteen kilometers south of Asti, Castagnole delle Lanze lies in the UNESCO Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont, on ground once crossed by a Roman road branching off the Via Aemilia between Acqui and Pollenzo. In the Middle Ages the lands belonged to the counts of Loreto, with Manfredo I the count most tied to the community; their castle, probably destroyed in 1255 when the contado fell, has not survived, and from the thirteenth century the town passed under the Comune of Asti. The main square and Piazza Balbo hold the two churches that anchor the lower town, while the Parco della Rimembranza occupies the highest ground of the village, looking over the Tinella and Tanaro valleys. What remains is a settlement built in layers: a Roman route, a lost medieval castle, a pair of Baroque churches, and a nineteenth-century tower, each belonging to a different century and none of them replacing the one before it.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Castagnole delle Lanze’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Turin (TRN), about 1h 29m by car.
Genoa (GOA) is about 1h 40m away.
By car from the centre of Milan 1h 49m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Turin, Genoa or Milan?
Coming by train into Torino Porta Susa? Castagnole delle Lanze is about 1h 11m away by road.
What to see
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
Built by Count Paolo Ballada di San Robert, the tower stands at the top of the Parco della Rimembranza and still functions as a lookout over the surrounding hills.
Parco della Rimembranza
Public park on the highest point of the village, with the 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.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Castagnole delle Lanze fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Borgo diVino tourfood festival
usually held in October. TrovaSagre
Living here
- Population 3,661
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Turin, 1 h 29 min drive
- Regional capital Torino, 1 h 12 min drive
Common questions
- What is Castagnole delle Lanze known for?
- Castagnole delle Lanze is an Asti hill town at 298 meters between Langhe and Monferrato, with two Baroque churches and a nineteenth-century astronomical tower.
- Where is Castagnole delle Lanze?
- Castagnole delle Lanze is a comune in the province of Asti, in Piedmont.
- What is the nearest airport to Castagnole delle Lanze?
- Turin (TRN), about 1h 29m by car.
- Can you get to Castagnole delle Lanze without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Milan to Castagnole delle Lanze?
- About 1h 49m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Castagnole delle Lanze?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 30 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Castagnole delle Lanze?
- Yes. Borgo diVino tour. October is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Castagnole delle Lanze?
- Cherasco, Acquasparta and San Gemini.
- How many people live in Castagnole delle Lanze?
- 3,661 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 298 m
- Population: 3,661
- Surface area: 21.57 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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