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Historic
centre

 

Cocconato, an enchanting village located on the hills of Asti, boasts a rich architectural heritage that reflects centuries of history and culture. Thanks to its privileged location, it is nicknamed the “Riviera of Monferrato” due to its mild microclimate year-round. The village preserves numerous prestigious buildings, including historic palaces, churches, and monuments of great artistic and religious value. The collection of prized white truffles is a widespread practice.

The town
hall

 

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Built in the 15th century, probably as the southern extension of the Radicati Counts’ castle, it represents one of the rare examples in Piedmont of Gothic-style civil buildings and is influenced by Lombard broletti.

The building has an irregular shape, is based on pointed-arched porticoes that follow the layout of the underlying street, and beneath which small artisan shops and the entrance to the large municipal hall, built in 1884, can be found.

The entrance façade features 15th-century arched windows with decorated terracotta panels in the flamboyant Gothic style. The palace consists of three floors and a courtyard known as the Collegio, so named because of the old seat of the school for the teaching of grammar, rhetoric, and humanities, founded in 1754.

At the end of the courtyard are located the old district prisons, a significant example of a 19th-century service building. Inside the courtyard is the entrance to the Municipality, surrounded by the commemorative plaques for those from Cocconato who fell in the 19th-century Italian Wars of Independence.

The tower
dominates the landscape

 

Originally part of the Radicati Counts’ castle, it was built in the 10th century at the summit of the hill. Partially destroyed during the conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines, it was rebuilt in the 15th century but, in 1556, the castle was finally demolished by the French, leaving only the tower intact.

In the 1800s, the land was sold to Pietro Sarboraria, who installed an optical telegraph station there, operational from 1809 to 1814. Later, in 1836, the tower was demolished to build a windmill, which was dismantled in 1851 due to technical defects.

The building was then transformed into a residence and became Villa Giuseppina (today Villa Pia), with the addition of a terrace and living spaces. From the tower, visitors can enjoy a stunning panoramic view, which on clear days stretches all the way to the Alps, the Ligurian Apennines, and even Milan.

The parish
church

 

Built between 1670 and 1689 to replace the decaying church of Santa Maria de Lussello after the village moved to the higher part of the hill, the bell tower was raised in 1770, and, due to population growth, the church was expanded in 1859-60 and frescoed in 1867. Restored at the end of the 1990s, it was reconsecrated on January 1, 2000.

The building, majestic with a single nave and barrel vaults, hosts eight side chapels and preserves important works of art. Among them is the altarpiece by Vitaliano Grassi (1731), depicting the Madonna della Consolazione with Saints Fausto and Felice, and the high altar in polychrome marble (1724), which contains the relics of the patron saints. The organ, built by the Lingiardi brothers of Pavia in 1860, has a wooden casing from 1760 carved by Francesco Maria Bonzanigo of Asti.

The church is distinguished by its exposed brick façade, decorated with pilasters and a tympanum, and its rich artistic and religious heritage.

Other religious
buildings

 

Other notable places of worship include the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, located at the beginning of Via Roma, characterized by a covered portico, and the Church of St. Catherine of Siena, which enriches the sacred heritage of the village.

Even the surrounding districts of Cocconato house significant religious sites, including the Church of San Bartolomeo in Cocconito, the Church of San Defendente in Vastapaglia, and the charming Pieve della Madonna della Neve, also known as “La Pieve.” Particularly revered is the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, known as “La Madonnina,” a pilgrimage destination and symbol of popular devotion. Other religious buildings include the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Tuffo, the Chapel of San Grato, the Church of San Martino in Bonvino, and the Chapel of San Carlo Borromeo.

The Communal Roof
in Piazza Giordano

 

The origins of the Cocconato market date back to the Middle Ages, but it was only at the beginning of the 19th century, thanks to lawyer Melchiorre Giordano, mayor of Cocconato, after whom the square was named in 1891, that the market was regulated and expanded, attracting residents from nearby towns. In 1882, to accommodate the large number of livestock present during market days, the communal roof was built on land owned by the Giordano family.

The structure is rectangular and 47 meters long, made of exposed brick with nine low-arched arcades supported by square pillars. After ceasing its function as a livestock market in the second half of the 20th century, the roof underwent various restoration projects and today stands as one of the most notable examples of civic roof structures in Monferrato, used for the fruit and vegetable market and Cocconato’s folk and sporting events.

The ancient
pharmacy

 

The historic pharmacy of Cocconato dates back to 1642 when Giovanni Matteo Sacco obtained his apothecary license. The business was passed down through generations until Innocenzo Marchisio, who sold it in 1841 to Andrea Fasolis, a pharmacy graduate from Turin. He is credited with frescoing the ceiling. The pharmacy then passed to his son Giacomo, and later to his grandson Giulio, who managed it until 1957.

After being purchased by Dr. Michelangelo Montanaro, the pharmacy was restored, preserving the original frescoes. Today, the former pharmacy on Via Roma still retains its 18th-century furniture and early 20th-century sign and is now used for commercial purposes.

The ceiling features a fresco of the Archangel Gabriel, attributed to Carlo Antonio Martini of Robella, who also painted frescoes in several local churches. The Archangel, wrapped in a red cloak, holds a vial and a scale, symbols of the pharmaceutical profession.

The Gromo
palace

The convent of the Augustinian friars was built in the 15th century using materials from the destroyed castle. It included a central cloister and a three-nave church with a bell tower, dedicated to St. Augustine. Although the community was small, the friars had a significant influence due to their spiritual and social works, even managing to save Cocconato from French looting in 1708.

Enriched by donations, the convent owned three farmhouses with land, but was suppressed in 1798 by Pope Pius VI following the French Revolution. The friars left the convent in 1802.

In 1806, the building was sold to the Gromo family, who transformed it into a residence. After a brief period as the convent of the Sisters of St. Anne (1944-1978), it passed through several owners and was recently renovated.

Contact information
Tourist office

 

Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 22
14023 Cocconato (AT)

TEL 0141 600076
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