Asti Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Saint Gotthard, is the seat of the Diocese of Asti. It is described as the highest expression of Gothic architecture in Piedmont, with examples of Lombard Romanesque. It is 82 meters long and 24 meters wide and high, among the largest churches in Piedmont.
Construction likely began around the fifth or sixth century, possibly replacing earlier buildings. Around 1070 the building collapsed, partly because of a fire attributed to Adelaide of Susa during her dispute with the bishops. Pope Urban II consecrated the rebuilt cathedral in 1095 and used the occasion to preach the First Crusade.
The bell tower was rebuilt from 1266 by the master mason Jacopo Ghigo. It has seven floors and an octagonal spire. A niche holds a Pietà of eight polychrome terracotta figures from 1502.
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