Romanesque architecture is widely found in Piedmont. It is an artistic and architectural style rooted in the medieval era, more specifically, the 10th century.
One of its best-known masterpieces is the evocative Sacra di San Michele, also famous for having inspired Umberto Eco’s celebrated novel The Name of the Rose.
Yet this imposing monument is far from the only example: throughout Piedmont, countless churches and pievi have been beautifully preserved, offering the chance to discover and admire the allure of this artistic period—perhaps less widely known than the later Gothic style, but just as rich in remarkable heritage.
Romanesque Art in Piedmont: the Main Characteristics
Certain features are common and immediately recognizable in most Romanesque buildings, such as:
- churches divided into bays with groin vaults,
- the creation of a matroneum (gallery) above the side aisles,
- exterior walls decorated with arches and small arcaded loggias,
- facades built either as a simple gable or with a stepped profile,
- round arches,
- thick walls that allow multiple rows of narrow openings, creating dim, semi-lit interiors intentionally left bare, without paintings or decorative embellishments,
- complex column forms, often piers composed of multiple semi-columns.
However, one of the elements that makes Piedmont’s Romanesque churches and pievi especially distinctive is their variety.
Because the region includes landscapes that differ greatly from one another, and has long been a crossroads for many peoples, each area developed buildings with noticeably different characteristics.
The Pievi of Monferrato Astigiano
In Monferrato, for example, churches and pievi were often built using pietra da cantoni, a marl that is particularly easy to work.
As a result, buildings in this area are especially rich in decorations and ornamental details, made possible precisely by the malleability of this stone.
Among the standout examples is the Abbazia di Vezzolano in Albugnano, one of the best-preserved Romanesque buildings in all Piedmont, just 15 km from Cantine Bava.
But even smaller, lesser-known churches preserve remarkable treasures. One example is the Pieve di San Lorenzo in Montiglio Monferrato.
Also noteworthy is the Church of San Secondo in Cortazzone, whose interior features zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, fantastical, hybrid, and chimerical figures, an extraordinary testament to the extensive use of symbolism typical of the medieval period.
In Montechiaro d’Asti, you’ll find the Church of Saints Nazario and Celso, recognizable for its tall bell tower and the lively color effect created by alternating brick and sandstone.
The Rete Romanica di Collina and the Cammino del Romanico: discovering Asti’s Romanesque heritage
Today, the most important Romanesque sites in the Asti area are brought together in the Rete Romanica di Collina, a heritage project that includes 25 Romanesque churches across 22 municipalities in the province of Asti.
On opening days, visitors can stamp the Carta Generale with the stamp of each church visited, with the goal of completing the full route. And for those who truly want to immerse themselves in the spirit of the era, it’s possible to follow in the footsteps of pilgrims along the Cammino del Romanico (Romanesque Trail), which stops at some of the most significant Romanesque churches and pievi, including the beautiful Pieve della Madonna della Neve in Cocconato.
The Pieve of Cocconato: a Romanesque jewel in Asti’s countryside
In Cocconato, on a hill surrounded by Bava vineyards, stands the Pieve della Madonna della Neve. Despite various interventions over the centuries, it still preserves key features that clearly reveal its Romanesque origins.
In particular, the cubic capital, now used as the base of the altar, displays incised decorations on all four sides. From the 17th-century layout, the elegant barrel vaults with lunettes are still visible both in the nave (western area) and in the presbytery.
The Pieve can be visited free of charge on the first Sunday of every month during the summer season.
At its feet stretches the Barbera vineyard that gives life to Stradivario, Bava’s Barbera d’Asti Superiore. In the warmer months, the vineyard and the Pieve take center stage once again with events, and the hill returns to being a place for meeting and conviviality—through initiatives such as vineyard aperitifs or open-air cinema nights.
To stay updated on upcoming events on the hill that hosts the Pieve,