Cortanze between Castle Architecture and Local Culture

Cortanze between Castle Architecture and Local History

Cortanze combines a striking building with ecclesiastical history and regional culinary culture. The Castello di Cortanze is a typical example of late-medieval Piedmontese architecture and has a trapezoidal floor plan.

The Castello di Cortanze in Detail

The architecture is particularly vivid in the preserved southern tower. It is 22 metres high, consists of three rooms arranged one above the other and is crowned by seven Ghibelline swallowtail merlons. The Castello also contains a remarkable hall with rib vaults and sandstone keystones bearing symbolic representations. The entire castle is surrounded by a park; access is via a ramp and a Baroque-style gate. After a period of complete neglect, the Castello was restored and reopened.

Churches and Traditional Local History

The Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata belonged to the brotherhood of the Disciplinants, the Batù, and dates back to the 14th century. The Parrocchiale dei Santi Giovanni e Pietro has a Baroque appearance and older origins. According to tradition, Emanuele Tesauro was born in the tower of the Castello di Cortanze. In June, the religious celebration “10000 martiri” takes place in the parish church of Saints Peter and John.

Views of Hills, Courtyard and Roads

The bastions of the Castello di Cortanze open up two different views: on one side, you can see the hills, and on the other, the courtyard. A European nettle tree stands at Piazza Marconi 2; its botanical name is Celtis australis, and in Italian it is called bagolaro. The third stage of the “Cammini delle alte colline ombrose e delle colline chiare” leads from Soglio to Corsione via roads through Cortanze. The entire stage covers 11.20 km; the estimated time is 2 hours and 40 minutes. When planning the entire stage, Soglio and Corsione remain the two endpoints; Cortanze lies along the road route. GTT bus connections to Montechiaro and Cortanze are available for the route.

Regional Products and Events

The local cuisine includes the Azienda Agrituristica “’L Piasì” run by Ivo Massoletti. Since its foundation in 2016, the business has produced fruit, including Nocciola Piemonte IGP, as well as vegetables and honey. The agriturismo’s restaurant uses raw ingredients produced on the farm and carefully prepares them with other selected ingredients according to local tradition. The Concerto di Natale della Val Rilate is a Christmas concert at the Castello di Cortanze. A visit to the Tinelli family’s Crotin di Salvin was also planned as part of a Christmas event in Cortanze. The Christmas concert at the Castello and the religious celebration in June at the parish church therefore differ both in venue and in timing.

More about the region: Asti.

Further destinations: Stazione Cocconato, Refrancore, Penango, Monale, Casorzo, Cantarana, Tonco, Dusino San Michele