Castagnole delle Lanze - The Town Hall and the Alfieri Palace

On the square there are two important buildings, both of medieval origin, with remains of ancient towers. The great Alfieri Palace, joint-lords of Castagnole since 1642, assumed the current appearence in the early eighteenth century, after the fire started by the French who devastated part of the building in 1704.

In front of it, there is the noble house of De Canis family, an illustrious family of Casale who rebelled against the Duke of Mantua and Marquis of Monferrato during the sixteenth century. The family was exiled and settled in Castagnole. Many members of the family distinguished themselves in the service of the Savoy, especially Pietro De Canis, captain of the Alba militia, who obtained from Duke Vittorio Amedeo II the cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, thanks to the service rendered in the siege of Turin in 1706. The family also included Gian Secondo, born in Magliano Alfieri, the first historian from Asti in modern times. Between 18th and 19th century, the building became the Town Hall and the seat of the male schools of the capital.

On the façade of the Town Hall is possible to see the civic coat of arms, probably deriving from a religious symbol: the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil in Eden, with the snake around the trunk, which was represented in the symbol of ancient parish. The inhabitants of Castagnole used this representation, transforming it into a talking weapon, that is, a representation that recalls the name of the bearer.

Thus, in the civic coat of arms the tree becomes a chestnut tree, reconnecting to the origin of the name of the village derived from castanetum, in memory of the ancient wooded mantle of chestnut trees, which covered the hills of this territory. The trunk that keeps the snake is crossed by two lances arranged like a Saint Andrew’s cross, which refer to the marquises Lancia, lords of Castagnole, between 12th and 13th century. To marquises Lancia is also linked the name Delle Lanze, introduced in the town name around 1240, to replace the name of Castagnolis de ultra Tanagro, as a testimony of the submission of Castagnole population to Manfredi II Lancia, vicar of the Emperor Frederick II for North Italy, in opposition to the dominion of Asti.