Others believe it derives from a Celtic term, krana, denoting a cleft or fissure, and therefore pertaining to the name of the river which runs alongside the village. There are only traces of the walls of the castle of Grana, which is recorded as far back as the tenth century, and was part of the property of the Marquises of Monferrato. During the Middle Ages the estate passed between numerous different families. From the 18th century it was under the dominion of the Savoys.

The land is a succession of sunny fertile hills, ideal for wine growing. Grana lies in the official production area for the DOC wine “Malvasia di Casorzo d’Asti”. The weather conditions and soil characteristics are typical of the area and lend the grapes and wine their renowned high quality.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The current Baroque church, designed by the architect Gaspare Pasta, was built in 1771 on the foundations of the previous church (dated 1500). It was later decorated with paintings by ‘Il Moncalvo’, Alberini and Crosio. The choir, worthy of a cathedral, and the organ, with pipes in pure tin, date back to around 1800. The interior, with its central ground plan, features a great, majestic nave.