Proposal to name Asti railway station after Pope Francis
Date of the event:
On 3 November 2026 the mayor of Asti, Maurizio Rasero, sent a formal letter to the leadership of the FS Italiane group requesting that the process be started to name Asti's railway station after Pope Francis, with the proposed designation «Stazione di Asti – Papa Francesco» [1][2].
The initiative
The proposal follows a meeting between the mayor and Carla Rabezzana, a cousin of Pope Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio — and has the agreement of the Bishop of Asti, Marco Prastaro [1]. The stated aim is to commemorate the bond between the pontiff, an honorary citizen of Asti, and the area his family came from [1][2].
Mayor Rasero explained the choice of the railway station by describing it as one of the city's main points of access and a place that citizens, workers, students and visitors pass through every day [1]. In the letter he asked FS Italiane to assess and, following the procedures in place, begin the process for the naming, offering the Municipality's willingness to cooperate with the bodies involved on institutional, technical and administrative matters [1][2].
The bond with Asti
The relationship between Pope Francis and the Asti area is linked in particular to his visit on 19 and 20 November 2022, when the pontiff returned to the land of his ancestors and met the local community [1][2]. At the end of the Mass in Asti Cathedral, Pope Francis addressed those present with a greeting in Piedmontese dialect: «A la fame propri piasì encuntreve!» [1][2].
Sources
- ATnews — 3 November 2026
- la Repubblica Torino — 3 November 2026