Buttigliera d'Asti
Welcome to Buttigliera d'Asti!
Buttigliera d'Asti, or "Butijera" as it's known in Piedmontese dialect, is a municipality in the province of Asti, Piedmont, with a population of 2,527 inhabitants. Come and discover the history, symbols and monuments that make this town so interesting!
The History of Buttigliera d'Asti
The history of Buttigliera d'Asti dates back to 1263, when the municipality of Asti conquered the Mercuriolo castle and created a settlement called "Butiglaria". The town soon became autonomous, as attested by a statute from 1471, and maintained its freedom even after being taken over by the House of Savoy in 1559. In the 17th century, it became one of the fiefs of Ernst von Mansfeld, passing then to Matilde di Savoia and Bernardino Gentile. Later on, the fief became the property of the counts Baronis and Freylino.
From the 16th century, Buttigliera d'Asti had to face epidemics, famines and troop movements. After the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, the situation improved and the production of terracotta vessels (known as "terracei vases") and agriculture, with the production of cereals and wine, started to flourish.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the population began a gradual decrease due to emigration to cities such as Turin. In 1901, Buttigliera d'Asti had only 2959 inhabitants.
The Symbols of Buttigliera d'Asti
Buttigliera d'Asti has a coat of arms characterized by a figure representing Saint Blaise who holds a pair of pliers to break a little flower, the symbol of the monastic order. The use of the coat of arms was confirmed in 1614 by the ducal commissioners following the edict of Carlo Emanuele I on noble coats of arms.
The Monuments and Places of Interest in Buttigliera d'Asti
The Church of San Biagio
The parish church of San Biagio was built in the 15th century in Gothic style. On the sides of the portal are the statues of Saints Blaise and Bernard, the patron saint of the town. The interior has three naves, with pillars covered in marble and modern frescoes on the vaults. The main altar, dating back to 1796, houses a wooden crucifix by Carlo Plura and a painting by Vittorio Amedeo Rapous, taken from the chapel of Saint Elizabeth and depicting the saint. The church of San Biagio was also the place where Saint John Bosco was confirmed.
The church's organ was purchased from the church of Santa Teresa in Turin in 1836.
Next to the church stands the bell tower, which reaches a height of over 52 meters, making it the tallest in Monferrato.
Other Buildings
Palazzo Freylino, built in the mid-17th century at the behest of Count Amedeo Baronis, was sold along with the fief in 1771 to Count Lorenzo Freylino, who installed a botanical garden there. The palace was inherited by Maurizio Pangella in 1820, but the garden was no longer maintained and fell into disrepair.
Two other important churches are the Chapel of San Martino, with Romanesque origins and belonging to the Order of Malta, now the cemetery chapel, and the Chapel of San Bernardo di Chiaravalle, near the Furnas pond, which takes its name from a brick kiln that was active here in the 15th century.
Come and discover Buttigliera d'Asti, a beautiful town full of history!
