Rose Festival

A village in bloom

Every year, on a Sunday in May, the small village of Cerreto d'Asti — a municipality in the Province of Asti, in the heart of the Asti Monferrato in Piedmont — transforms into an open-air gallery dedicated to roses. This is the Rose Festival, an event that has grown to become a staple of the Asti spring calendar.

The concept: a rose at every door

The festival stems from a simple and poetic idea: to plant a rose in front of every door in the village to enhance its charm and make it more welcoming. The initiative is linked to the memory of Mirko Mosso, a young mayor who promoted this collective beautification project. Since then, every spring, the alleys and houses of Cerreto fill with blooming rose bushes, and for one day, the village becomes a natural stage of colors and scents.

Art, music, and nature

The Rose Festival is more than just a floral event. Along the streets of the historic center, you will find painters, photographers, artisans, and nurserymen, while art exhibitions are hosted in the halls of the Town Hall. The soundtrack of the day is provided by Piedmontese folk music, with roving performances animating the most characteristic corners of the village. There are also walks in the surrounding countryside, meetings dedicated to the care and pruning of roses, and guided tours of the local historical heritage.

The heritage of Cerreto

Notable landmarks include the Romanesque church of Sant'Andrea di Casaglio, a jewel of the Asti Monferrato, and the famous "La Rosina" Giant Bench, a beloved stop for hikers and visitors. The event is supported by the Piedmont Region and the CRASTI Foundation, and is organized by the Municipality of Cerreto d'Asti in collaboration with the Cerreto d'Arte association, the Pro Loco, the Astronomical Observatory, and the Ecomuseum of the Lower Asti Monferrato.

A slow experience

What makes the Rose Festival special is its pace: far from the frenzy of large fairs, here you walk slowly, stop to listen to a folk group, learn how to prune an antique rose, or step into a thousand-year-old church to hear a poetry reading. It is an invitation to rediscover the lesser-known Monferrato, made of small villages, rolling hills, and carefully preserved traditions.