Description
Adjacent to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the San Giovanni complex bears witness to centuries of history and transformation.
The former Church of San Giovanni, founded around the sixth century and regarded by many scholars as Asti’s first cathedral, is now the centrepiece of the Diocesan Museum. Opened in 2010, the museum was created to preserve and display the artistic heritage of the Diocese of Asti.
The complex serves a dual purpose: it provides public access to the historic church and its ninth- and tenth-century crypt, while also safeguarding the treasures of the Cathedral.
The museum displays works from Asti Cathedral, the Collegiate Church of San Secondo and other churches throughout the diocese, which have entrusted some of their most valuable liturgical objects to its care. The exhibition spaces also regularly host temporary exhibitions.
Among the most important works on display are the magnificent Gothic wooden choir stalls created by Baldino da Surso in 1477, a masterpiece of exceptional artistic value.
As you descend into the crypt, you enter the world of the Early Middle Ages. This space, located at the lowest level of the church, is supported by reused ancient columns.
Four Roman columns divide the interior, three of which are made of precious Egyptian red porphyry. They are crowned by capitals dating from the Roman and early medieval periods.
This is a journey through time, in which every stone tells the story of Asti’s spiritual and artistic development.