Incisa Scapaccino, land of marquises, heroes and…sanctuaries…
Landscape.
Incisa Scapaccino, so-called starting from 1928 (previously it was Incisa Belbo) in honor of the native Giovanni Battista Scapaccino, is one of the main centers of Southern Asti.
It covers an area of 20.70 km² and has a population of approximately 2200 inhabitants.
It is about 26 km from the provincial capital, Asti.
History.
A town with a thousand-year history (the first evidence dates back to the 10th century), it is famous in history for the Marquisate of Incisa, which began in 1161.
The Marquisate of Incisa ceded its possessions to the Marquisate of Monferrato during the medieval period.
The bloody battle staged in 1514 between the two marquisates is still recalled today in the month of July with the Incisa 1514 event.
Administration.
Incisa Scapaccino is home to the Comunità Collinare Vigne & Vini, a union of municipalities established with the aim of promoting the development of the territory and improving the services provided to the community.
Food and wine and typical products.
Particularly flourishing are the cultivations of apples, peaches, soybeans, beets, white thistles, and wine.
Opportunities to appreciate the delicacies of the area are the Festival of Hunchback Cardoon, Barbera and Friciula (Sagra del Cardo Gobbo, della Barbera e della Friciula), scheduled for the second Sunday of October, and the Truffle Fair, also in October.
To be seen.
Of the ancient medieval castle of Incisa, today only a tower remains; part of the material obtained from the destruction of the fortress was reused for the construction of civil houses and for the parish church of Saints Vittore e Corona.
In Piazza San Giovanni we find instead the New Castle (Castello Nuovo), a twentieth-century palace in neo-Gothic style.
Also, worth seeing are the Sanctuary of Madonna del Carmine, Palazzo Serbelloni Busca, which now houses the Town Hall, the Church of Saint Giovanni Battista, Porta di Valcazara (Valcazara's Door), and The Poles of Memories.
Curiosity.
The Church of Saint Giovanni Battista is the first sanctuary in Italy dedicated to Virgo Fidelis, patron saint of the Carabinieri.
Information synthesis and/or re-elaboration was taken from the website of the Municipality of Incisa Scapaccino
Cover image source: Municipality of Incisa Scapaccino