San Michele – History, Landscape and Local Cuisine

San Michele combines buildings, landforms, an unusual discovery story, and a local specialty. These topics extend from the main square and the San Michele district to the Villanova d’Asti plateau and into the municipal area of Dusino San Michele.

History in San Michele

A castle stands on the main square of San Michele. It was built in the 14th century and later redesigned in the Neo-Gothic style.

The Church of San Michele dates predominantly from the 13th century. Its distinctive architectural features include a semicircular apse with medieval lancet windows. The parish church connects its semicircular apse and medieval lancet windows with a tradition concerning the origins of the village. The parish church dedicated to Saint Michael is said to have been the church around which the village developed in the mid-12th century. The first records of San Michele date from the 12th century; at that time, the bishop gave the village to the Benedictine nuns of Sant’Anastasio d’Asti.

The Castello Raggi is located in the San Michele district. It was converted into an aristocratic residence and preserves parts of its medieval structure. The Castello Raggi also includes a park. For those interested in culture, San Michele therefore offers castle history, church architecture, and the residential history of the Castello Raggi as distinct subjects.

Landscape and Discovery History on the Plateau

San Michele and Dusino both lie on the edge of the Villanova d’Asti plateau, before the land slopes down toward the valleys of the Traversola and Stanavasso streams. The transition from the edge of the plateau to the two stream valleys describes the change in terrain between these landscape areas. For landscape planning, the terrain profile remains clear: the plateau lies at the edge, and the land slopes down toward the valleys of the two streams. The edge of the plateau and the descent toward the valleys of the Traversola and Stanavasso streams form part of the same terrain profile in the area around San Michele and Dusino.

In the municipal area of Dusino San Michele, the signposted Cammino di Rino is a trail that begins at the site where the fossil skeleton was found. A complete skeleton of a prehistoric rhinoceros, Rhinoceros etruscus, was found in the municipality of Dusino San Michele. Anyone including the Cammino di Rino in their day plan has a specific starting point for the signposted trail in the municipal area of Dusino San Michele: the fossil discovery site.

Local Cuisine with De.Co. and a Local Dish

Dusino San Michele also has its own culinary profile. The “cossot,” a zucchini from Dusino San Michele, has De.Co. certification, Denominazione Comunale. “Cussot e gugalè” is a local dish made with gnocchi and zucchini. With cossot, the zucchini is the focus as a local product, while Cussot e gugalè brings gnocchi and zucchini together in one dish.

More local pages: Dusino San Michele, Asti, Valenzani, Azzano D'asti, San Matteo, Vigliano D'asti, Moasca and Camerano Casasco.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Asti.