Description
Situated on the street of the same name, the Torre dei Natta is one of the most important surviving symbols of aristocratic power in Asti.
The tower was probably built at the initiative of Guglielmo Natta, Lord of Tonco in 1298. It formed the defensive core of a substantial fortified residence, adjoining two separate buildings set at right angles to one another. The tower is the oldest surviving part of the surrounding complex.
Although it appears relatively low today, it was probably once considerably taller.
Its architecture is distinguished by a plain, tapering brick shaft, crowned by two bands of drop-shaped decorative motifs. On the eastern side, the original elevated entrance doorway can still be seen. The windows on the uppermost floor, however, date from a later remodelling.
At the foot of the tower, a striking contrast of styles reveals the building’s evolution over the centuries. The main entrance on Via Natta displays elegant Renaissance forms, while the pointed-arched entrance on Via Milliavacca retains its distinctly Gothic character.
Above it is the characteristic arch of alternating white stone blocks and red brick, an unmistakable hallmark of medieval architecture in Asti.