Alessandria is a city in Piedmont. The third largest city in
Piedmont by number of inhabitants, its name perpetuates the memory
of Pope Alexander III. Legend has it that, during the siege of the
city by Federico Barbarossa in 1174, Gagliaudo Auleri, a poor
shepherd, decided to feed his cow all the grain he possessed, and
then go out to graze it. Barbarossa's troops immediately captured
him and slaughtered the cow. To their amazement they discovered that
the belly of the beast was full of wheat. They deduced that food was
still abundant in the city and it would not surrender in a short
time, so they gave up and Alexandria was liberated.
Geographic hints
Alessandria is a city that rises in the alluvial
plain formed by the Tanaro and Bormida rivers, near their point of
confluence; to the north it borders the Monferrato hills, rich in
vineyards and to the south the first offshoots of the Ligurian
Apennines. It is 36 km from Asti, 21 from Tortona, 39 from Voghera,
32 from Casale Monferrato.
Alessandria is characterized by a typically Po climate, with cold,
foggy winters and hot, muggy summers. The rains are not very abundant
(about 600 mm), and fall mainly in autumn and spring. It has a more
continental climate than the rest of Piedmont. Winters, due to the
greater number of foggy days, tend to be more rigid (average of +0.4
degrees in January), while summers are sultry but much sunnier and
drier: the hottest month, July, has a average temperature of +24 degrees
and it is also the driest, with 32 mm of rain often concentrated in one
or two thunderstorms (At the height of summer, Atlantic storms tend to
flow much further north).
Background
The city was born in the
second half of the 12th century with the toponym of Civitas Nova on an
already existing urban nucleus consisting of the ancient village of
Rovereto. The city was officially founded in 1168 and in that year it
assumed its present name in honor of Pope Alexander III, who in that
period promulgated the actions against the Holy Roman Empire and who had
excommunicated Frederick Barbarossa.
On 29 October 1174
Alexandria suffered an attack by the imperial forces which had already
conquered Susa and Asti in the previous months and which however
remained blocked in front of the moat that surrounded the city: thus
began a long siege which ended on 12 April 1175, Good Friday, with the
surrender of Barbarossa's men. In 1183, after the Peace of Constance and
on the orders of the Empire, the city assumed the name of Cesarea, but
kept it for a short time. In 1198 it became a free municipality.
In the Middle Ages, Alessandria for over two centuries maintained the
condition of a free municipality, coming into conflict with the nearby
Casale, which was still part of the Marquisate of Monferrato, with Asti
and with Pavia, which feared its possible expansion. The city, then
known by the name of Alessandria della palude, later passed under the
protection of the Visconti and subsequently under the Duchy of Milan. It
was probably at the beginning of the 13th century that a Jewish
community settled in the city and later founded a synagogue there.
In 1707 it was conquered by the Savoys and in 1802, after the battle
of Marengo, it was annexed to France together with the whole region.
Conquered in 1814 by the Austrians after the treaties of Paris, it was
returned to the Savoys. During the Risorgimento, Alessandria was an
important liberal center. The birth of the railways and the increase in
trade in Northern Italy at the end of the 19th century transformed
Alessandria into one of the focal points for the Italian market. Due to
its position, at the center of the connections between Turin, Milan and
Genoa, the city experienced a great demographic increase in this period.
Under Fascism Alessandria maintained its importance; in the thirties
important public buildings and architectural works were erected, such as
the Dispensario Antiturbercolare, designed by Ignazio Gardella and the
Palazzo delle Poste e dei Telegrafi, designed by the architect Franco
Petrucci and decorated with mosaics by Gino Severini.
During the
Second World War, the city suffered repeated heavy aerial bombardments
and its Synagogue was looted and partially destroyed. After the war,
Alessandria followed the fortunes of Northern Italy, experiencing
initially that development and that form of well-being that spread in
the North during the sixties with the economic boom, also experiencing
the immigration of people from the southern regions and reaching exceed
100,000 inhabitants in 1970.
Subsequently, when the effects of
the economic boom subsided, Alexandria experienced a demographic
decline. In 1998 it became the headquarters, together with Novara and
Vercelli, of the University of Eastern Piedmont "Amedeo Avogadro".
Its historic center is enclosed between the avenues that have
replaced the ancient fortifications; still today they are not called
avenues as in many other cities, but stands. Piazza della Libertà is the
heart of the city that brings together the main administration buildings
at the municipal and supra-municipal level, and services; nearby is the
nucleus of the religious city, with the cathedral. The architectural
aspect of Alessandria is permeated by the elegant and austere Savoy
style that derives from the important urban interventions of the late
nineteenth century and unites it to many other Piedmontese cities.
Neighborhoods
Its extensive municipal area, the largest in the
region, includes the towns of Astuti, Cabanette, Cantalupo,
Casalbagliano, Cascinagrossa, Castelceriolo, Gerlotti, Litta Parodi,
Lobbi, Mandrogne, San Giuliano Nuovo, San Giuliano Vecchio, San Michele,
as well as the city. , Spinetta Marengo, Valmadonna, Valle San
Bartolomeo and Villa del Foro.
By plane
The closest and most convenient airports to reach are
Turin, Linate and Milan Malpensa (via Gravellona), both in just over an
hour.
By car
It has toll booths:
A21 motorway on the A21
Turin - Brescia motorway: Alessandria east and Alessandria west; this
motorway crosses the A7 motorway a short distance from the city.
Motorway A7 Milan - Genoa;
A26 motorway on the A26 Genova -
Gravellona Toce motorway: Alessandria south
On the train
Railway station, Piazzale Curiel, 8. Timetables, reservations and ticket
sales on the Trenitalia website.
Milan, Genoa and Turin are all about
an hour away by train.
By bus
Troiolo Bus, Corso Garibaldi,
185 - Siderno, ☎ +39 0964 381325, fax: +39 0964 381325,
info@troiolobus.com. The company allows the direct connection of
Alessandria with Africo, Ardore, Badolato, Bianco, Bovalino,
Brancaleone, Catanzaro, Catanzaro Lido, Caulonia, Davoli, Guardavalle,
Isca sull'Ionio, Lamezia Terme, Locri, Marina di Gioiosa Ionica,
Monasterace, Montepaone, Polistena, Riace, Roccella Jonica, Rosarno,
Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio, Santa Caterina, Siderno, Soverato,
Squillace, Taurianova and Vibo Valentia; not all connections are daily.
The center can be easily explored on foot or by bike.
By
public transport
For all the information relating to the urban public
transport lines, consult the ATM website.
By taxi
Taxi, Piazza
della Libertà, 3, ☎ +39 0131 253031.
Taxi, Piazzale Stazione F.S., ☎
+39 0131 251632.
By car
For all information relating to
parking, consult the ATM website
Palatium Vetus. The palace, in the central Piazza della Libertà, was
built around 1170. It served as a Broletto in the 13th and 14th
centuries, therefore the center of the political, administrative and
judicial life of the medieval municipality. After many vicissitudes, in
1856 the Municipality of Alessandria gave it to the State which arranged
the guardhouse of the Division Headquarters. Until 1995, the building
housed the Presidium and the Military District and, since 2012, it has
been the headquarters of the Alessandria savings bank foundation which
has fully financed the restoration.
Palazzo del Municipio (Palazzo
Rosso (from the color of the facade)). Built in the 18th century, it
features a particular three-dial clock (note the cockerel on the top
stolen by the Alessandrini from the Casalesi in 1225); destroyed by war
bombing in 1944, the building that stands today is the result of a
subsequent reconstruction.
Palazzo Ghilini. Built by Tommaso
Ottaviano Antonio Ghilini, Marquis of the homonymous family, it is today
the seat of the Provincial Administration and the Prefecture. Designed
by Benedetto Alfieri in 1733, with exquisite Baroque shapes, it is
considered the most beautiful and monumental in the city.
Palazzo
Guasco, Via Guasco. Located in the homonymous via Guasco, its history
dates back to the first centuries after the foundation of the city. The
current conformation is from the eighteenth century. The right wing of
the building is today the seat of some sections of the Provincial
Administration. Awaiting restoration of some halls of the building which
retain the eighteenth-century architectural structure. The left wing of
the building, on the other hand, is still private property. Noteworthy
is the small theatre, not open to the public, inside the private wing.
Palazzo dal Pozzo, Piazzetta Santa Lucia. Dating back to the eighteenth
century, its style is purely Baroque. The palace belonged to the
marquises dal Pozzo, one of the most important families in Alessandria.
The marquises dal Pozzo also owned all the blocks around via Maestra
(now via Milano), starting from the small square of San Giovanni delle
Rane (now the small square of Santa Lucia) up to the small square of
Monserrato.
It was built in the second half of the eighteenth
century, by an unknown architect in the typical Piedmontese Baroque
style, on two floors above ground as required by the use of the place
and according to military needs. The facade is made richer by very
beautiful wrought iron balconies and the windows alternate angular and
curvilinear elements in their tympanums, creating an excellent ratio of
full and empty spaces. From some architectural elements found on the
ground floor, it is assumed that the building must have had an internal
courtyard-garden.
The staircase, which is rich in stucco, is built
with motifs that simulate hanging vaults and is appreciable for its
relationships and proportions. On the main floor, in the typical style
of eighteenth-century houses, there are the rooms used for servants
aligned one to the other on the internal and external front. According
to the Alessandrian historian Fausto Bima "The building has two
characteristics: that of all well-proportioned rooms, without the usual
contrast of height and size between halls and lounges and that of a
series of decorations on the walls and ceilings which they represent the
average of what was used in a Piedmontese patrician house in the second
half of the 18th century. Nothing modest and not even anything
ostentatiously sumptuous: the golden mean".
From 1862 to 1868, the
building housed the Società del Casino and for a few decades the
Notarial Archives and from 1962 to 1982 again the Società del Casino.
edit
Triumphal arch, via Dante. It was erected in 1768 in memory of
the visit of Vittorio Amedeo III and Maria Antonia of Spain. It is a
rare example of an eighteenth-century arch.
Prati Palace of
Rovagnasco. Built in the mid-eighteenth century by the Marquis Carlo
Giacinto Prati, the current building was restructured and partly altered
after the Second World War and is distributed over three floors which
wind in a U-shaped plan around a central courtyard: a main body that
overlooks via XXIV Maggio and two side wings along via Giuseppe Verdi
and via San Giacomo della Vittoria. The typical decorative elements of
the Baroque style are reduced according to a taste now oriented, as in
contemporary buildings, towards forms of classical austerity, so much so
that the building can be considered the most severe among the stately
homes of the 18th century in Alessandria.
Villa Guerci.
Anti-tuberculosis dispensary and provincial hygiene and prophylaxis
laboratory. Works by Ignazio Gardella, built between 1934 and 1939, are
considered masterpieces of Italian Rationalist architecture.
Post
Office building. Built between 1939 and 1941 in a purely rationalist
style, it is decorated with a 38-metre long mosaic by Gino Severini on
the façade. The distinctive mosaic tells the story of telegraph and
postal services.
Borsalino house. Work of the architect Ignazio
Gardella designed between 1949 and 1951 and built in 1952.
Cathedral,
Piazza Giovanni XXIII. Almost adjacent to piazza della Libertà is the
small and elegant piazza del Duomo, with the new neoclassical cathedral
of (1810-1849) which preserves the wooden statue of the Madonna della
Salve inside; on the left side of the façade stands Gagliaudo holding a
Lodi cheese, a Romanesque sculpture depicting the Alexandrian hero who,
according to legend, distinguished himself during the siege of
Barbarossa. Note on the right side of the Cathedral the very tall and
imposing bell tower in eclectic taste, built on several occasions
between the last decade of the 19th century and 1922; with its 106
meters of height it is the third highest in Italy after the bell tower
of Mortegliano and the Torrazzo of Cremona. The bell tower contains a
concert of 5 bells in C3 major.
Santa Maria di Castello, Piazza Santa
Maria di Castello. Built over an earlier church in the 14th century, the
remains of which can still be found under the floor. The oldest church
in the city, located in the ancient village of Rovereto, blends in its
structure styles from different eras, such as the late Romanesque
construction with the Renaissance portal and, inside, various works from
later eras (the crucifix, the altar, the baptismal font, the sacristy).
Also in the basement you can see the remains of two previous churches.
At the beginning of the 12th century it was governed by the secular
canons; in 1268 it passed to the Monks of Santa Croce di Mortara, then
in the 15th century to the Lateran Canons until the order was suppressed
in 1798.
After the Napoleonic period, entrusted to the Somaschi
Fathers and then to the Sisters of Charity, it was used for civil and
hospital uses with the adjoining convent during the wars of the
Risorgimento and the First World War. After 1918 the Salesian nuns
opened a school there.
Church of San Gaudentius martyr.
Greek-Byzantine Rite Catholic Church built in 1994 for the Romanian,
Moldovan, Serbian, Montenegrin, Greek, Bulgarian communities and for the
Serbian minority of Croatia.
Church of Our Lady of Loreto, Via Plana.
Built by the Dominicans between 1828 and 1833, it became municipal
property in 1855; the adjoining convent housed the Liceo Ginnasio. The
church returned to the Dominicans in the nineteenth century, and they
built a new convent there; the previous one remained used as a school.
Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Via Guasco. Around the middle of the
fourteenth century it was built by the Carmelites according to the
dictates of the Gothic, then enlarged from 1466 until the end of the
sixteenth century. Used as a military hospital during the War of the
Austrian Succession in the eighteenth century, it was restored from 1865
with works that lasted until 1954.
Church of Saints Sebastiano and
Dalmazzo, Via San Dalmazzo. It was rebuilt by the Benedictines on the
site of a previous church in 1741. Deconsecrated at the end of the 19th
century, it then returned to worship and in 1955 was given to the
Apostle Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Church of Santa Maria "Domus
Magnae", Via Ghilini. The name derives from having been built near a
large house that reached up to via Dante. Already documented in 1486, it
belonged to the Observant Minors. In the eighteenth century it was
rebuilt. In the second half of the twentieth century it was used by the
Police Headquarters. It is now municipal property.
Church of the
Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, Via Guasco/via Canefri. Formerly
dedicated to San Rocco, it stands at the crossroads of several roads and
was probably built on the occasion of a plague. Documented for the first
time in 1618, the church was rebuilt in 1788 and dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin. It is sponsored by some families.
Church of the
Blessed Virgin of Grace, Via Mondovì. The first fifteenth-century
building was rebuilt in 1663; Further transformations have brought the
small church to its current appearance, which houses the ancient
simulacrum of the Virgin which popular tradition calls the Madonnina.
Church of the Blessed Virgin of Monserrato, Piazzetta Monserrato. Its
construction dates back to the first decades of the seventeenth century;
the church is the only public building left among those built in the
period during which the city was dominated by the Spaniards,
particularly devoted to the Virgin of Monserrato.
Former Jesuit
College, Piazza Santo Stefano. It was the Society of Jesus who built the
building in the first half of the eighteenth century. It originally
occupied an area of six thousand square meters. With the suppression of
the Company in 1773, the large complex was used as a barracks, a
military district, a shelter for the homeless during the war. It now
houses homes.
Church of Saints Stefano and Martino, Piazza Santo
Stefano. The Servites built it in the eighteenth century; with the
suppression of the order it became a warehouse. It returned to the
parish seat in the early nineteenth century, adding San Martino to the
title; the small convent annexed to the building became the rectory.
Church of Saints Lucia and Paul, Piazzetta Santa Lucia. It was built on
the previous temple dedicated to San Giovanni delle rane, documented in
the fifteenth century, which became the seat of four brotherhoods
between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The ancient church was
demolished in 1751; the new one was consecrated in 1759. On the occasion
of the feast of Santa Lucia on 13 December, the square becomes a place
for sacred and profane celebrations, with stalls offering the
traditional Lecabon.
Synagogue, Via Milano. It rises in the area of
the old ghetto, imposed by the Savoy from 1723 to 1848. It is a
monumental example of an Italian nineteenth-century synagogue. The
temple has a neo-Gothic style facade with three orders of windows with
pilasters and white moldings. A plaque today commemorates the deportees
of the Holocaust. Inside you enter the winter temple, now normally used
for functions, and through a long corridor to the staircase that leads
to the large room on the first floor, lit by large polychrome glass
windows. The original ark was destroyed during the looting of the Second
World War and was replaced by that of the Nizza Monferrato synagogue,
now dismantled. The women's gallery has a loggia on the entrance wall,
with two superimposed orders.
Military citadel. It rises on the left
bank of the Tanaro river. It is an imposing military building built on a
project by Ignazio Bertola, one of the most important in the world. The
construction, commissioned by Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy in the 18th
century, involved the evacuation and demolition of the entire Borgoglio
district. Owned by the State Property Agency, it can be visited today
thanks to the guides prepared by the FAI: it has a star-shaped plan,
with six bastions surrounded by moats. Of notable architectural-military
interest are the military quarters with the eighteenth- and
nineteenth-century buildings.
Natural monuments
Napoleon's
plane tree. Along the former state road n. 10 which connects Alessandria
to Spinetta Marengo stands the so-called Napoleone plane tree, one of
the largest monumental trees in Italy. Legend has it that it was planted
in 1800 following the victory over the Austrians at the battle of
Marengo. The plane tree, of the Platanus occidentalis species, is forty
meters high and has a circumference at the base of the trunk of almost
eight metres. It seems that until the beginning of the 20th century
there were still five surviving examples of a complete avenue that
reached from the gates of Alessandria to Marengo. Coordinates of the
plane tree: +44° 54' 28.17", +8° 38' 23.70".
The Alessandria area, being close to Monferrato and Langhe, has
excellent wines. For beer, there are several pubs in the city that offer
from simple draft beers to more sought-after craft beers. As for
cocktails, they are found almost everywhere even if it is difficult for
them to be prepared properly.
John's Pub, Via Mondovì, 12 (Near
Piazza Garibaldi). They serve a very honest draft Gordon Gold for less
than 5 euros. edit
Britannia (In the stadium area). Until late at
night. edit
Gasthaus (In the stadium area). Until late at night. edit
Caffè degli Artisti, Via Vochieri, 11 (Near the Piazzetta della Lega).
Great place for cocktails. edit
The downtown area offers various
places which, especially during the weekend, fill up with customers
based on the fashions of the year. In the late evening, however, the
situation languishes, moving to those few places that stay open late
without offering much and often asking for too high prices. In the
surroundings of Alessandria there are various discos, above all the Luna
Rossa and a few places for live music.
There are numerous pastry shops, some very famous for their pastas
and cakes. As for the traditional Alessandrian dishes, many come from
the poor cuisine of the peasants, today highly sought-after dishes
including agnolotti, bagna caoda, risotto al Barolo, green rabaton,
mixed boiled meat, chicken marengo, green bath, bonet.
The wines
are also exceptionally good as they come from the nearby hills of
Monferrato and the Langhe. Some notable examples are: Barbera, Barolo,
Grignolino, Freisa, Ruche, Malvasia di Casorzo and many others.
Average prices
The Cluster.
Arcimboldo.
Group of greedy.
Regional and Strategic Location
Alessandria lies roughly 90 km (56
mi) southeast of Turin (Torino), within the so-called “industrial
triangle” formed by Turin, Milan, and Genoa. This central position in
northwest Italy has historically made it a key transportation,
commercial, and logistical hub. It connects via major motorways (A21
Turin–Brescia–Piacenza and A26 Voltri–Gravellona), a ring road
(tangenziale) encircling the city, and an important railway
classification yard. The city borders multiple communes, including
Valenza, Tortona, Novi Ligure, Ovada, and Acqui Terme, and lies amid
fertile agricultural land that transitions southward toward the Ligurian
Apennines and eastward/northward toward the rolling Monferrato hills.
Topography and Landscape
The city occupies a flat alluvial plain
typical of the central-eastern Po Valley. Quaternary sediments deposited
by the Tanaro and Bormida rivers dominate the terrain, creating rich,
fertile soils ideal for crops like wheat, corn, sunflowers, and
livestock farming in the surrounding countryside and frazioni (hamlets).
The urban area itself spreads across this low-relief landscape, which
has allowed for an expansive layout with long, wide boulevards, spacious
squares, and modern infrastructure. The broader province (3,558 km²)
offers more variety—plains in the north, Monferrato hills, and Apennine
foothills to the south—but the city proper remains distinctly lowland
and river-influenced.
Geologically, Alessandria sits in the
Alessandria Basin, part of the larger Po Basin system shaped by Alpine
and Apennine tectonics. The flat topography and proximity to rivers have
historically exposed the area to flooding, with notable events (such as
the 1994 Tanaro flood) prompting modern defenses like levees and channel
modifications.
Hydrology: The Tanaro and Bormida Rivers
The
Tanaro River (a major Po tributary, ~276 km long) flows prominently
through or alongside the city, historically dividing quarters like
Gamondio, Marengo, Rovereto (right bank) and the former Bergoglio (left
bank, later demolished for the fortress). The Bormida River joins
nearby, forming the alluvial plain on which the city stands. Bridges,
including the historic Citadel Bridge over the Tanaro, are defining
features. The rivers have shaped the city’s development, providing
water, transport, and fertile land while also posing flood risks due to
the low gradient and Po Valley’s drainage patterns. Human
interventions—straightening channels, embankments—have altered natural
courses over centuries.
Climate
Alessandria has a humid
subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), more continental than much of
Piedmont due to its position in the Po Valley. Winters are cold and
often foggy (frequent inversion layers trap moisture), with January mean
daily maxima around 5.9°C (42.6°F) and minima near −1.4°C (29.5°F).
Summers are hot and humid, with July maxima averaging 31.2°C (88.2°F)
and peaks occasionally reaching 38–39°C. Annual average temperature is
roughly 12–13°C. Precipitation totals about 600–637 mm (24–25 in) per
year, concentrated in autumn (wettest month: November ~99 mm) and
spring; summers are drier (~40 mm in July, often in intense
thunderstorms). Snowfall occurs in winter, and there are around 65
precipitation days annually. The climate supports lush vegetation and
agriculture but contributes to the city’s reputation for sultry summers
and foggy winters.
Urban and Human Geography
The flat terrain
has enabled a grid-like, open urban form with wide avenues for traffic
flow and large public squares in the pedestrian-friendly historic
center. The city is administratively divided into five circoscrizioni
(districts) encompassing historic quarters and outlying frazioni. The
massive 18th-century star-shaped Cittadella fortress (now partly
parkland) dominates the riverside and reflects its long military history
tied to its strategic plain location. Surrounding rural areas feature
scattered farms and small settlements, blending seamlessly into the
agricultural plain.
Pre-Foundation and Ancient Roots
The area was originally inhabited
by the Statielli, a Ligurian people, before Roman conquest in the late
3rd century BC integrated Cisalpine Gaul into Roman control by 42 BC.
Early settlements like Rovereto and Bergoglio emerged during the Roman
Empire and persisted through the Lombard and Frankish periods after the
Western Roman Empire’s fall in 476 AD. Under the Lombards, the territory
was reorganized into manorial estates, notably the court of Marengo
(with an 8th-century Tower of Theodelinda). Frankish rule began in 774,
and by 962, the region fell under the Holy Roman Empire, where communes
gradually gained autonomy.
Foundation by the Lombard League
(1168) and the Middle Ages
Alessandria’s founding was a deliberate
act of defiance. In 1162, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa
destroyed Milan and sought to curb communal autonomy at the Diet of
Roncaglia. The Lombard League responded by establishing Civitas Nova
(“New City”) in 1168 near Rovereto, between the rivers for defensibility
and close to the Empire-loyal March of Montferrat. Genoa helped fund it,
and settlers came from surrounding villages. On May 3, 1168, its consuls
formally joined the League in Lodi—this date is still celebrated as the
city’s foundation.
In 1170, the city was offered to Pope Alexander
III as a papal fief, legitimizing the anti-imperial struggle; it was
renamed Alessandria in his honor (and became a bishopric in 1175). The
provocation succeeded: Barbarossa besieged it from October 1174 after
razing Susa and defeating Asti. The defenders held through winter, aided
by League reinforcements. The siege lifted on April 12, 1175; subsequent
fighting led to the League’s victory at Legnano (1176) and the Peace of
Constance (1183), which forced the emperor to recognize communal rights.
A local legend (later popularized by Umberto Eco) credits a peasant
named Gagliaudo with tricking the emperor by parading a cow stuffed with
grain to suggest abundant supplies.
Medieval Alessandria was a free
commune embroiled in Guelph-Ghibelline conflicts and wars with neighbors
like Montferrat, Asti, and Pavia. It received Casale Monferrato’s relics
(saints’ bodies and a brass rooster) after sacking it in 1215; the
rooster still tops the town hall. It came under Visconti influence in
the 14th century after the Battle of Gamenario (1345) and Gian Galeazzo
Visconti’s campaigns (including a 1391 victory at Alessandria). Internal
uprisings and shifts between Milanese, French, and other powers
followed, culminating in the short-lived Ambrosian Republic after 1447.
Renaissance to Early Modern Period (15th–18th Centuries)
Under
the Sforza dukes of Milan and later Spanish rule (after the 16th
century), Alessandria lost much autonomy but gained stability as a trade
crossroads between Lombardy and Genoa. The Tanaro bridge, begun in 1455,
symbolized this connectivity. During the War of the Spanish Succession,
it passed to the House of Savoy via the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. King
Victor Amadeus II ordered the construction of the massive star-shaped
Cittadella (1732 onward, designed by Ignazio Bertola), one of Europe’s
largest fortresses, by demolishing the Bergoglio quarter. It withstood
sieges in the War of the Austrian Succession (e.g., 1745) and became a
defining military landmark.
Napoleonic Era and the 19th Century
French Revolutionary forces occupied the citadel in the late 1790s, only
for Russian general Alexander Suvorov to retake it in 1799. Napoleon’s
decisive victory at the nearby Battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800, at
Spinetta Marengo) secured French control. Alessandria became the capital
of the French département of Marengo (1802–1814). Napoleon modernized
the citadel, demolished the old Gothic cathedral for a neoclassical one
(dedicated to Saints Peter and Mark), and enhanced fortifications.
After Napoleon’s fall, the 1814 Treaty of Paris returned the city to
Savoy. It played a key role in the Risorgimento: the 1821 Piedmontese
uprising began here when Santorre di Santarosa seized the citadel and
raised the tricolor flag (colors debated). Austrian forces reoccupied it
briefly. Alessandria was a logistics center in the 1859 Second Italian
War of Independence and became a provincial capital in the newly unified
Kingdom of Italy (1861).
Industrial growth accelerated with railways.
The Borsalino hat company (founded 1857) became world-famous for its
felt hats, symbolizing the city’s economic rise alongside cosmetics and
other light industry.
20th Century to Present
The city
expanded rapidly in the 20th century as a rail and industrial hub.
Fascist-era buildings (e.g., the post office with Gino Severini mosaics)
appeared in the 1930s. During World War II, its strategic bridges and
rail yards made it a prime target for Allied bombing under Operation
Strangle; major raids in 1944–1945 killed over 550 civilians (notably
the April 30, 1944, Cristo quarter attack and the April 5, 1945,
kindergarten bombing). The Jewish community, documented since ~1490 and
involved in banking, suffered when fascists looted the synagogue in
1943. Partisans and the Brazilian Expeditionary Force liberated the city
on April 29, 1945.
Postwar economic boom (the “miracle”) drove
population past 100,000 by the 1970s, with southern immigration. Floods
(notably the devastating 1994 Tanaro flood, killing 11) and events like
the 1974 prison riot marked challenges. Today, Alessandria remains an
agricultural, industrial, and logistical center. It hosts part of the
University of Piedmont Oriental (UPO) and preserves landmarks like the
Cittadella (now a cultural site), the neoclassical cathedral, and Santa
Maria di Castello church. Modern infrastructure includes updated
bridges, and it faced early COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.
Historical Roots and Local Identity
Alessandria was founded in
1168 as Civitas Nova by the Lombard League as a defensive stronghold
against Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; it was soon renamed in
honor of Pope Alexander III. This origin story of defiance and alliance
remains central to local folklore, including the legend of Gagliaudo,
who tricked the emperor with a clever ruse involving a well-fed cow to
suggest abundant supplies. The city endured sieges, shifted between
powers (Visconti, Sforza, French, Spanish, Savoy), and played key roles
in the Napoleonic Wars (nearby Battle of Marengo in 1800) and the
Risorgimento.
This layered past fosters a cultural identity of
resilience and strategic adaptability. The massive Cittadella di
Alessandria—a star-shaped 18th-century fortress built under Savoy rule
and one of Europe’s best-preserved examples—symbolizes this military
heritage. Today it hosts guided tours, exhibitions, historical
reenactments, and events, transforming defense into cultural
celebration.
The province’s Monferrato hills (partly
UNESCO-recognized for their vineyard landscapes) add rural depth, with
castles, villages, and transhumance traditions influencing folk customs.
Alessandria’s diverse religious communities (including a historic Jewish
presence with a 19th-century synagogue) and institutions like the
University of Eastern Piedmont reflect its role as a crossroads.
Architectural and Visual Heritage
The historic center features a
harmonious mix of styles: medieval remnants like the Palatium Vetus,
Romanesque-Gothic churches (e.g., Santa Maria di Castello), grand
Baroque palaces (such as Palazzo Ghilini), and neoclassical landmarks
like the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Mark (rebuilt after Napoleonic
destruction, with its soaring bell tower). Porticoed piazzas, lively
markets, and elegant 18th–19th-century facades create a walkable,
human-scale urban fabric.
Museums preserve this visual legacy: the
Civic Museum in Palazzo Cuttica displays art, archaeology, and
Napoleonic artifacts; the Gambarina Museum explores folk traditions and
rural life; and the Marengo Battle Museum commemorates key history.
Culinary Traditions: A Mosaic of Flavors
Food and wine form the
heart of Alessandrian culture, reflecting the city’s
geography—Piedmontese heartiness meets Ligurian freshness and Provençal
hints. Meals are social rituals, often paired with robust local wines in
trattorias or at family tables.
Signature dishes include:
Rabatòn
— Ricotta, spinach, chard, and wild-herb rolls (humble origins tied to
rural transhumance), baked au gratin; a protected recipe with its own
confraternity and September festival in Litta Parodi village.
Pollo
alla Marengo — Chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, crayfish, and eggs,
legendarily invented for Napoleon after the 1800 battle.
Bagna càuda
— Warm anchovy-garlic dip for vegetables.
Pasta like agnolotti or
truffle-infused varieties; farinata (chickpea flatbread) from Ligurian
roots.
Cheeses such as Robiola (multi-milk, artisanal) and Montebore
(ancient tradition).
Desserts: Krumiri (crunchy, mustache-shaped
biscuits inspired by King Victor Emmanuel II, a local icon); Lacabòn di
Santa Lucia (honey-caramel sticks sold during the December feast); and
baci di dama (hazelnut cookies).
Wines from surrounding
Monferrato vineyards shine: Barbera (versatile, cherry-spiced red),
Grignolino, Albarossa, Freisa, and whites like Cortese di Gavi (DOCG) or
Timorasso. These pair perfectly with hearty meats, cheeses, or antipasti
and feature prominently in local festivals.
Weekly markets brim with
fresh produce, artisanal goods, and street food, reinforcing food’s role
in community life.
Festivals, Music, and the Arts
Alessandria’s calendar pulses with events that blend history, music, and
gastronomy:
Fiera di San Baudolino (November, patron saint’s day) —
Parades, crafts, food stalls, and music honoring the city’s medieval
roots.
Santa Lucia Feast (December 13) — Lights, colors, and Lacabòn
sweets create a magical, intergenerational atmosphere.
Fraskettando
SkaBluesJazz Festival (early July) — Draws international acts for lively
outdoor performances.
International Music Festival “Alessandria
Barocca e non solo...” — Baroque to contemporary classical music in
historic venues.
Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar
Competition — Prestigious event showcasing young talent.
Smaller
events like the Inchiostro Comics Festival and wine/food sagre
(festivals) celebrate local creativity.
The Conservatorio Antonio
Vivaldi anchors the music scene, while theaters and galleries host
plays, concerts, and exhibitions. The Borsalino Museum celebrates the
city’s industrial icon—felt hats produced since 1857 and worn by
cultural legends worldwide—linking craftsmanship to modern identity.
Social Customs and Contemporary Life
Daily culture emphasizes
conviviality: long lunches with wine, café chats in piazzas, and
family-oriented traditions. The pace feels relaxed compared to bigger
northern cities, yet vibrant with markets, cycling heritage (the city
even has a Bicycle Museum), and community events. Piedmontese dialect
(Lissandria variant) adds linguistic flavor in informal settings.
Alessandria’s culture values accessibility, heritage preservation, and a
balance of tradition with modernity—evident in its role as a transport
hub, university presence, and evolving cultural calendar. Notable
figures like Umberto Eco (born here) drew early inspiration from its
layered history.