Ancient times and early Middle Ages People have lived in and around what is now Asti since the
Neolithic period. Before their defeat in 174 BC by the Romans, tribes of
Ligures, the
Statielli, dominated the area and the
toponym probably derives from
Ast which means "hill" in the ancient
Celtic language. In 124 BC the Romans built a
castrum, or fortified camp, which eventually evolved into a full city named Hasta. In 89 BC the city received the status of
colonia, and in 49 BC that of
municipium. Asti became an important city of the Augustan
Regio IX, favoured by its strategic position on the Tanaro river and on the
Via Fulvia, which linked Derthona (
Tortona) to Augusta Taurinorum (
Turin). Other roads connected the city to the main passes for what are today
Switzerland and
France. The city was crucial during the early stages of the barbarian invasions which stormed Italy during the fall of the
Western Roman Empire. In early 402 AD, the
Visigoths had invaded northern Italy and were advancing on
Mediolanum (modern
Milan) which was the imperial capital at that time.
Honorius, the young emperor and a resident in that city, unable to wait for promised reinforcements any longer, was compelled to flee from Milan for safety in the city of
Arles in
Gaul. However, just after his convoy had left Milan and crossed the
River Po his escape route through the
Alps was cut off by the Gothic cavalry. This forced him to take emergency refuge in the city of Hasta until more Roman troops could be assembled in Italy. The Goths placed Hasta under siege until March when General
Stilicho, bringing reinforcements from the
Rhine, fought and defeated them at the
Battle of Pollentia. After this first victorious defence, thanks to a massive line of walls, Hasta suffered from the barbarian invasions which stormed Italy after the fall of the
Western Empire, and declined economically. In the second half of the 6th century, it was chosen as a seat for one of the 36 Duchies in which the
Lombards divided Italy. The territory of Asti comprised a wide area, stretching out to
Albenga and the
Maritime Alps. This remained when northern Italy was conquered by the
Franks in 774, with the title of County. In the late Carolingian age, Asti was ruled directly by his bishops, who were the main landlords of the area. Most important are Audax (904-926) and Bruningus (937-966), who moved the episcopal seat to the Castel Vecchio ("Old Castle"), where it remained until 1409. The
bishopric of Asti remained a powerful entity well into the 11th century when Pietro II received huge privileges by emperor
Henry II. In the second half of the century, Bishop Otto tried to resist the aims of the powerful countess
Adelaide of Susa, who damaged the city several times. During Otto's reign, a
commune and the
consul magistrates are mentioned for the first time (1095).
Local power Asti was one of the first
free communes of Italy, and in 1140 received the right to mint coins of its own by
Conrad II. As the commune, however, had begun to erode the lands of the bishop and other local feudatories, the latter sued for help to
Frederick Barbarossa, who presented under the
city walls with a huge army in February 1155. After a short siege, Asti was stormed and burnt. Subsequently, Asti adhered to the
Lombard League (1169) against the German emperor, but was again defeated in 1174. Despite this, after the
Peace of Constance (1183), the city gained further privileges. The 13th century saw the peak of the Astigiani economic and cultural splendour, only momentarily hindered by wars against
Alba,
Alessandria,
Savoy,
Milan (which besieged the city in 1230) and the
Marquesses of Montferrat and
Saluzzo. In particular, the commune aimed to gain control over the lucrative trade routes leading northwards from the Ligurian ports. In this period, the rise of the
Casane Astigiane resulted in contrasting political familial alliances of
Guelph and Ghibelline supporters. During the wars led by Emperor
Frederick II in northern Italy, the city chose his side: Asti was defeated by the Guelphs of Alessandria at Quattordio and Clamandrana, but thanks to
Genoese help, it recovered easily. After Frederick's death, the struggle against
Thomas II of Savoy became fierce: the Astigiani defeated him on 23 February 1255, at the
Battle of Montebruno, but Thomas (who had been taken prisoner) replied ordering all traders from Asti to be arrested in
Savoy and
France. This move showed worry on the part of Asti's neighbouring states over the excessive power gained by the city, which had captured Alba and controlled both
Chieri and Turin. This state of affairs led to the intervention of
Charles I of Anjou, then King of Naples and the most powerful man in Italy. After some
guerrilla actions, Asti signed a pact of alliance with
Pavia,
Genoa and
William VII of Montferrat. In 1274 the Astigiani troops were defeated at the
Battle of Cassano, but, on 12 December 1275, were victorious over the Angevins at the
Battle of Roccavione, ending Charles' attempt to expand in Piedmont. In the 1290s, after William VII had also been defeated, Asti was the most powerful city in Piedmont. However, internal struggles for the control of trading and banking enterprises soon divided the city into factions. The most prominent faction was the powerful bankers of the Solari family, who, in 1314, gave the city to king
Robert of Naples. In 1339,
Ghibelline exiles recaptured the city, expelling the Solari and their Neopolitan allies. Shortly thereafter in 1340,
Luchino Visconti, Lord of Milan took control of Asti, an act which the rulers of the commune formally accepted in 1342 to protect against the potential of a Solari counteroffensive. To protect the new burgs of the city, Visconti built a citadel and a second ring of walls. In 1345, at the
Battle of Gamenario, the Ghibelline Astigiani and
John II of Montferrat defeated the Neapolitans in a clash between Guelph forces from the Kingdom of Naples and the Ghibellines supported by the Lombard communes. After the Battle of Gamenario, John II expanded the territory of Montferrat and ultimately in 1356 took Asti from the Visconti ending 16 years of control by Milan. John ruled over Asti until 1372, but seven years later the city council submitted to
Galeazzo II Visconti's authority. Later in 1389, when Galeazzo's daughter
Valentina Visconti married
Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, Asti would be included as part of her dowry.
French and Savoyard domination With the exception of several brief periods under Visconti, Montferrat and
Sforza rule, Asti remained under Valois control; it eventually became a direct subject of the
French Crown. The situation changed in the early 16th century, during the wars between
Charles V and
Francis I of France. In 1526 it was besieged in vain by Charles' condottiero
Fabrizio Maramaldo. Three years later, Asti was conveyed as a result of the
Treaty of Cambrai to the Holy Roman Empire by which it was ruled until 1531 when Emperor Charles V gave the territory as a fiefdom to his cousin
Beatrice of Portugal, Duchess of Savoy. Later at the time of Beatrice's death in 1538, Asti was inherited by her son and included on the Savoys' heritage. Asti was one of the main Savoyard strongholds in later wars. In 1616, besieged by the Spanish governor of Milan, it was defended by Duke
Charles Emmanuel I himself. In 1630–31, the city suffered a high mortality rate from an outbreak of the
plague. Some years later Asti was conquered by the Spanish, although Savoy regained the city in 1643. Another unsuccessful Spanish siege occurred in 1650. In November 1703, during the
War of Spanish Succession, Asti fell to France again; it was reconquered in 1705 by
Victor Amadeus II. In 1745 French troops invaded the city once more, but it was liberated the following year. In 1797 the Astigiani, enraged by the continuous military campaigns and by their resulting poor economic situation, revolted against the Savoyard government. On July 28 the Repubblica Astese was declared. However, it was suppressed only two days later. The revolutionary chiefs were arrested and executed. The following year the Savoyards were expelled from Piedmont by the
French revolutionary army, and Asti was occupied by general Montrichard. After a short reversal, the French returned after the victory at
Marengo (1800) near to Alessandra.
Napoleon himself visited Asti on 29 April 1805, but was received rather coldly by the citizens. The city was demoted and incorporated with Alessandra under the department of Marengo. After the end of the French empire, Asti returned to
Piedmont in 1814; the city followed Piedmontese history until the unification of Italy in 1861. == Geography ==