Section 10 - Main Floor - Part 1

We now go up to the main floor of the 'Domo de Ast', the residence of the Counts D'Aste since the Middle Ages. This noble family, originally from Asti, settled in Albenga during the Middle Ages, when the local bishops entrusted them with the lands of Toirano. The palace remained in the family for many generations, until around 1800, when it passed to the Marquises del Carretto, from the Balestrino branch.The building as we see it today is the result of centuries of gradual construction, beginning in the 13th century and continuing through to 1800, when the English garden was also landscaped. The palace extends behind Toirano’s western walls and is enriched by a noble loggia overlooking the town’s main street.  And here is an extra fascinating historical note: in 1714, this very place became a stop on the European stage when the Marquise Geronima D’Aste hosted Elisabetta Farnese, the Duke of Parma’s daughter, on her journey to Spain, where she was to marry King Philip V of Spain.