Cantarana appears in historic documents regarding the city state of Asti as far back as the twelfth century. The first document which makes considerable mention of Cantarana is the will of Abellone Malabajla, dated 1398. From the second half of the sixteenth century Cantarana is recorded as an independent commune (with a proper Municipal Council), and so it has stayed until the present, excepting the period from 1927 to 1947 when it was united with Villafranca.

The commune of Cantarana covers a large area, while the town fans out around its main square. Its charm lies in its scattering of little groups of houses, lone houses, farmhouses, and hamlets across the valley, in the hills and on the hilltops. In the Valle Maggiore are the aquifers which feed into the main aqueducts in the Asti area. This is a protected area, with a hill of marine origin, which represents an important destination for visitors interested in the countryside and wildlife.

ECONOMY

The village lies in a hilly part of the Asti area which is not especially known for its prize crops, but nonetheless is home to plant nurseries, wineries, hazelnut groves and cattle farms. There is a large deciduous wood. Local trades include building, joinery, processing and selling wood, and transportation.