Holiday apartment in Tonco: Churches, Landscapes and Living Traditions

Tonco brings together religious buildings, historical traces, open landscapes, and regional traditions. A holiday apartment in Tonco is therefore suited to a trip that combines different facets: the Chiesa dei Santi Maria Assunta e San Giuseppe represents late Baroque architecture, the stages of the Cammini delle alte colline ombrose e delle colline chiare provide options for active day planning, while the Giostra del Pitu and Brando showcase the local area's cultural characteristics.

Holiday apartment in Tonco between churches and local history

The Chiesa dei Santi Maria Assunta e San Giuseppe is an 18th-century late Baroque parish church built according to a design by Filippo Castelli. Inside, the main altar is made of fine marble. Another religious building is the Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista. It stands on the square of the same name at the end of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Tonco.

Historical traces can also be found at Tonco's former castle. Some sections of the surrounding walls have been preserved. These remains are located in the oldest settlement area of Tonco, whose buildings were built within the Ricetto. The streets also feature many old gates that conceal the courtyards of the town's oldest farmhouses.

Stages and landscapes around Tonco

Stage 4 of the Cammini delle alte colline ombrose e delle colline chiare leads from Corsione to Tonco. It is 11.5 kilometres long and takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. Stage 5 begins in Tonco and leads over 10.5 kilometres to the Frazione Sanico; its stated duration is 2 hours and 35 minutes. Length, direction, and duration provide a concrete basis for planning active days in different ways.

The first section of Stage 5 follows the road from Tonco into the Valle del Rio di Tonco. The route passes through extensive cultivated areas with gentle changes in elevation and wide views of ridge roads with historic farmhouses and small linear settlements. Tonco's Bialbero is also located in Località Cascina Piane: a plant with another tree growing at its top.

Religious buildings, sports, and regional characteristics

The bell tower of the demolished Chiesa di Santa Maria is still preserved today. The Chiesa dell'Annunziata is called “la Nunsià” in the Piedmontese dialect. The Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice was built in 1922. Another side of Tonco is represented by the Sferisterio Cavalier Beretta: it is a competition field for Tambass, also known as Tamburello a muro, a sport typical of the Astesano Monferrato.

The Giostra del Pitu comprises an equestrian competition with seven participating districts. The Brando dance begins after the Giostra del Pitu. Brando is a folk dance typical of Monferrato that has been documented since the first half of the 17th century. In Tonco, historical buildings therefore stand alongside a regional sport and traditional festival customs.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Tonco, you can base your decision on the desired focus of your trip. Churches, the bell tower, castle walls, and old farmhouses are suited to a cultural and historical connection with the town. The two stages, the Valle del Rio di Tonco, and the cultivated areas place landscapes and activity at the forefront. The Giostra del Pitu and Brando add sports and dance traditions to this selection. Tonco therefore cannot be reduced to a single travel concept.

Discover more places

More places: Revigliasco D'asti, Pasquana, Montegrosso D'asti, Cornalea, Valenzani, Capriglio, Casorzo, Passerano

To the higher-level travel overview: Asti.