County of Asti
| Asti | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Città di Asti | ||
Top left: Piazza Medici (Medici Square) and Troyana Tower, Top right: A monument of Vittorio Alfieri in Piazza Alfieri (Alfieri Square), Middle left: Piazza Roma (Rome Square) and Comentina Tower, Middle upper right: vineyards in Mongardino, Middle lower right: Palio di Asti Festival on September, Bottom: town hall and San Secondo church
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 Asti
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| Coordinates: 44°54′00″N 8°12′25″E / 44.90000°N 8.20694°ECoordinates: 44°54′00″N 8°12′25″E / 44.90000°N 8.20694°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Piedmont | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Asti (AT) | |
| Frazioni | see list | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Fabrizio Brignolo (PD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 151.82 km2 (58.62 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 123 m (404 ft) | |
| Population (30 April 2009) | ||
| • Total | 75,793 | |
| • Density | 500/km2 (1,300/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Astigiani | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 14100 | |
| Dialing code | 0141 | |
| Patron saint | Saint Secundus of Asti | |
| Saint day | First Tuesday of May | |
| Website | Official website | |
Asti [ˈasti] 
listen is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres (34 miles) east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deemed to be the modern capital of Monferrato (Montferrat in English).
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 become 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.
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Wikipedia