Capitale indiscussa delle Langhe, noto territorio collinare cunese dove si producono alcuni tra i vini più prestigionsi d'Italia, è senza dubbio la città di Alba.
Situata in Bassa Langa, a destra del fiume Tanaro, è circondata da vigneti ed è conosciuta non solo per i vini, ma anche per il tartufo bianco, protagonista di una Fiera Internazionale che si tiene ogni anno in autunno.
Alba è una città ricca di tradizioni, di storia e di cultura.
Le sue origini sono antiche e risalgono al neolitico quando i Bagienni, una popolazione celto-ligure, vi insediarono un villaggio preistorico che rimase attivo fino all'arrivo dei Romani.
A quel punto l'insediamento ottiene lo status di colonia di diritto latinoe e prende il nome di Alba Pompeia iniziando la sua trasformazione urbana e commerciale.
La città venne dotata di una cinta muraria di forma ottagonale ed era accessibile grazie a tre principali vie di ingresso in corrispondenza delle tre porte urbiche. Lo spazio urbano era organizzato in isolati quadrati e rettangolari attraversati da strade ortogonali secondo il preciso stile edilizio romano.
Alba Pompeiana aveva anche un suo acquedotto ed altre strutture a carattere pubblico come il foro, il teatro e un complesso monumentale che potrebbe essere stato di carattere religioso.
I numerosi reperti venuti alla luce in seguito alle diverse campagne di scavo sono attualmente visibili presso il Museo civico archeologico F. Eusebio, inoltre, con il progetto Alba Sotterranea è possibile effettuare un tour archeologico toccando alcuni dei 32 siti romani cittadini.
Dopo la caduta dell'impero romano Alba fu interessata dalla invasioni barbariche fino a quando, nel 967 Aleramo ottenne dall’imperatore Ottone I la signoria delle Langhe.
Compervero così' le prime chiese ed iniziò un periodo di splendore. Diventata libero comune, cambiò l'assetto urbanistico del centro storico, così come lo conosciamo ora, secondo i dettami del periodo medioevale con strette vie, palazzo nobiliari ed alte torri.
E' tra il Trecento ed il Quattrocento che Alba assume l'appellativo di "Città delle Cento Torri", per via delle numerosi torri costruite a simbolo del potere dei signori locali. Di esse ne sopravvivono attualmente una decina.
Dopo il Rinascimento la città cominciò a perdere la sua autonomia e passò sotto diverse dominazioni fino a quella della casa Savoia, nel 1628.
Durante il Settecento rifiorì soprattutto dal punto di vista culturale e vennero costruiti nuovi edifici barocchi e neoclassici.
Durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale Alba convisse con il Fascismo e fu al centro delle operazioni belliche, fino a quando si proclamò "repubblica indipendente". prima repubblica partigiana in Italia, ottenendo per la sua resistenza la Medaglia d’Oro al Valor Militare.
La nostra visita alla Capitale delle Langhe inizia da Piazza Michele Ferrero, ex Piazza Savona, intitolata all'imprenditore che ha dato vita alla famosa multinazionale che ha sede in città. Da qui, dove si affacciano eleganti palazzi porticati, bar, negozi e ristoranti ha inizio Via Vittorio Emanuele, principale arteria del centro storico ed antica Via Maestra.
Questa strada è il salotto buono di Alba, qui ci sono non solo negozi di pregio, ma anche eccellenti vetrine enogastronomiche ed begli edifici storici.
Tra questi segnaliamo: Casa Varaldi, all'incrocio con via Mazzini, con la facciata che riporta semplificati decori Liberty; Casa Bergui, uno dei primi esempi di Liberty riconoscibile dall'elegante bovindo: Casa Do, in mattoni a vista e rinforzi con conci di pietra squadrata raffiguranti balli di giullari e matti; Palazzo dei Conti Belli, decorato a motivi geometrici: Palazzo di Serralunga che conserva nel cortile un doppio loggiato rinascimentale.
Lungo la via s'incontra anche la Chiesa della Maddalena, gioiello d'arte barocca realizzato da Bernardo Antonio Vittone i cui affreschi e decori celebrano l'ordine domenicano, la Beata Margherita di Savoia ed in generale la dinastia sabauda.
Un tempo l'edificio religioso era parte del Monastero delle Dominicane fondato dalla Beata Margherita di Savoia ed ora nel grande cortile interno, che tra ottobre e novembre ospita Mercato Mondiale del Tartufo Bianco, si affacciano il Museo Civico e la Biblioteca Civica.
Prima di terminare il percorso sulla Via Maestra nella Piazza Risorgimento, alzate gli occhi e potrete vedere la Torre Bonino, del XII secolo simbolo della famiglia dei Cerrati.
Piazza Risorgimento è il fulcro del centro storico di Alba. Qui dominano il Palazzo Comunale e la Cattedrale di San Lorenzo e sono visibili ben tre torri cittadine: la già citata Torre Bonino, la Torre Sineo e la Torre Astesiano, entrambe in Via Cavour.
Dopo aver visitato, se libera da impegni, la Sala del Consiglio Comunale ed il Duomo imboccate Via Cavour altra strada importante del centro e antico decumano maximo dell’abitato romano. Qui si trovano altri edifici storici tra cui Casa Sacco, anche detta Loggia dei Mercanti, caratterizzata da un portico con cinque archi ogivali ed una fascia marcapiano di gusto rinascimentale.
Percorrendo la via si intravedono altre due torri "abbassate"; sono la Torre Paruzza, in Vicolo dell'Angolo, e Torre Ravinale, all'angolo con Via Pertinace.
Camminate lungo Via Cavour per godervena fino al suo termine dove Piazza Garibaldi segna il confine del centro storico, poi tornate sui vostri passi e girate in Via Sandro Toppino raggiungendo Piazza Pertinace.
Su questa piazza si affacciano la Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, con un bel soffitto a cassettoni e importati opere al suo interno, la casaforte Casa Riva, la casa-torre Marro, capolavoro medioevale anche detta Castellaccio, e, ai suoi piedi, i resti archeologici del teatro romano.
A questo punto seguite Via Pertinace tornando in Via Cavour ed imboccate a sinistra la stretta Via Vernazza che vi condurrà alla Chiesa di San Giuseppe. Eretta dalla confraternita dei Pellegrini, conserva nei suoi sotterranei un percorso archeologico. Nella passeggiata non perdevi gli scorci sul suo campanile che è possibile risalire per godersi il panorama sulla città.
Proseguendo per qualche metro potrete ammirare Palazzo Finati, dimora storica dell'Ottocento ora adibita a boutique hotel.
Dalla Chiesa di San Giuseppe imboccate Via Manzoni che vi riporterà in Piazza Duomo, dove, all'angolo con Piazza Rossetti si trova la casa di Beppe Fenoglio. Qui il celebre scrittore scrisse le sue più importanti opere ed ora è sede del Centro Studi Beppe Fenoglio, dedicato non solo alla vita e alle produzioni dello scrittore, ma anche al territorio delle Langhe, alla memoria della Resistenza ed al pittore Pinot Gallizio.
Terminata la visita costeggiate il Duomo fino alla sua parte posteriore. Avrete così una vista differente sull'edificio e potrete vedere anche Palazzo Burdese e Casa Dacomo con portici, lesene e cornici.
In un angolo compare anche il Convitto Civico che, costruito nei primi anni Trenta, rappresenta l'immagine dell'efficenza fascista.
Superato l'edificio attraverso Via Govone, si raggiunge la neoclassica Piazza Vittorio Veneto dove si trovano la Chiesa di Santa Caterina ed il Teatro Sociale Giorgio Busca, unico nel suo genere per la presenza di una sala ottocentesca a “ferro di cavallo".
Dal Teatro percorrete Via Calissano fino alla Chiesa di San Domenico, edificio del 1292 che appoggia sui resti di un edificio romano. Si tratta di uno dei monumenti più significativi della città ora adibito a spazio per mostre d’arte, eventi culturali e concerti. Se la trovate aperta non tralasciatene la visita.
Continuando Via Calissano incrocerete di nuovo Via Vittorio Emanuele, la via Maestra di Alba dove termina il nostro itinerario.
Alba, the capital of The Langhe
The undisputed capital of the Langhe, a well-known hilly area in Cuneo Province where are produced some of the most prestigious italian wines, is undoubtedly the city of Alba.
Located in the Lower Langa, at the right of the Tanaro river, it is surrounded by vineyards and is known not only for the wines, but also for the white truffle, protagonist of an International Fair held every year in the autumn.
Alba is a city rich of traditions, history and culture.
Its origins are ancient and date back to the Neolithic when the Bagienni, a Celtic-Ligurian population, settled there a prehistoric village that remained active until the arrival of the Romans.
At that point the settlement obtains the status of a colony under Latin law and takes the name of Alba Pompeia starting its urban and commercial transformation.
The city was equipped with octagonal walls and was accessible thanks to three main entrance routes at the three urban gates. The urban space was organized in square and rectangular blocks crossed by orthogonal streets according to the precise Roman building style.
Alba Pompeiana had also its own aqueduct and other public structures such as the forum, the theater and a monumental complex that may has been a religious nature.
The numerous finds that came to light as a result of the various excavation campaigns are currently visible at the F. Eusebio Civic Archaeological Museum; moreover, with the Alba Sotterranea project it is possible to make an archaeological tour by touching some of the 32 Roman sites in the city.
After the fall of the Roman empire Alba was affected by the barbarian invasions until 967 when Aleramo obtained the lordship of the Langhe from the emperor Otto I.
Thus were purchased the first churches and began a period of splendor. Become a free municipality, it changed the urban layout of the historic center, as we know it now, according to the dictates of the medieval period with narrow streets, noble palaces and tall towers.
It is between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that Alba takes on the nickname "City of the of the hundred towers", because of the numerous towers built as a symbol of the power of the local lords. A dozen of them currently survive.
After the Renaissance the city began to lose its autonomy and passed under different dominations until the Savoy one, in 1628.
During the eighteenth century it flourished above all from a cultural point of view and were built new baroque and neoclassical buildings.
During the Second World War Alba lived with Fascism and was at the center of the war operations, until the proclamation of "independent republic", the first partisan republic in Italy, obtaining the Gold Medal for Military Valor for its resistance.
Our visit to the capital of the Langhe starts from Piazza Michele Ferrero, formerly Piazza Savona, entitled to the entrepreneur who gave birth to the famous multinational company based in the city. From here, where elegant arcaded buildings, bars, shops and restaurants overlook, begin Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main artery of the historic center and ancient Via Maestra.
This street is the good living room of Alba and has not only prestigious shops , but also excellent food and wine showcases and beautiful historic buildings.
These include: Casa Varaldi, at the crossroads with Via Mazzini, with the facade showing simplified Liberty decorations; Casa Bergui, one of the first examples of Liberty recognizable by the elegant bay window: Casa Do, in exposed brick and reinforcements with square stone ashlars depicting jester and madman dances; Palazzo dei Conti Belli, decorated with geometric motifs: Serralunga Palace that preserves in the courtyard a double Renaissance loggia.
Along the way there is also the Church of the Maddalena, a Baroque art jewel created by Bernardo Antonio Vittone whose frescoes and decorations celebrate the Dominican order, the Blessed Margherita of Savoy and in general the Savoy dynasty.
Once the religious building was part of the Dominican Monastery founded by Blessed Margherita of Savoy and now, in the large internal courtyard, hosts the World White Truffle Market between October and November, the Civic Museum and the Civic Library.
Before ended the route in Piazza Risorgimento, look up and you will see the Bonino Tower, a XII century symbol of the Cerrati family.
Piazza Risorgimento is the centerpiece of the historic center of Alba. It is dominated by the Palazzo Comunale and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and are visible three city towers: the aforementioned Torre Bonino, the Torre Sineo and the Torre Astesiano, both in Via Cavour.
After visiting, if it’s free from commitments, the City Council Hall and the Cathedral, go in Via Cavour, another important road in the center that is the ancient decumanus maximo of the Roman settlement. Here there are other historic buildings including Casa Sacco, also called Loggia dei Mercanti, characterized by a portico with five pointed arches and a string course in Renaissance style.
Along the way you can see two other "lowered" towers: Torre Paruzza, in Vicolo dell'Angolo, and Torre Ravinale, at the corner of Via Pertinace.
Walk along Via Cavour to enjoy it until its end where Piazza Garibaldi marks the boundary of the historic center, then retrace your steps and turn into Via Sandro Toppino reaching Piazza Pertinace.
On this square overlook the Church of San Giovanni Battista, with a beautiful coffered ceiling and imported works inside, the Casa Riva stronghold, the Marro tower house, a medieval masterpiece also called Castellaccio, and, at its feet, the remains archaeological of the Roman theater.
At this point follow Via Pertinace returning to Via Cavour and take the narrow Via Vernazza on the left which will lead you to the Church of San Giuseppe. Built by the Pellegrini brotherhood, it preserves an archaeological tour in its basement. In the walk you did not miss the views on its bell tower that you can go up to enjoy the view over the city.
Continuing for a few meters you can admire Palazzo Finati, a nineteenth-century historic residence now used as a boutique hotel.
From the Church of San Giuseppe take Via Manzoni which will take you back to Piazza Duomo, where, at the corner with Piazza Rossetti there is the house of Beppe Fenoglio. Here the famous writer wrote his most important works and is now home of the Centro Studi Beppe Fenoglio, dedicated not only to the life and productions of the writer, but also to the territory of the Langhe, the memory of the Resistance and the painter Pinot Gallizio.
Once the visit is over, skirt the Duomo to its rear. You will thus have a different view of the building and you can also see Palazzo Burdese and Casa Dacomo with arcades, pilasters and frames.
In a corner there is also the Civic Boarding School. Built in the early 1930s, it represents the image of fascist efficiency.
After passing the building through Via Govone, you reach the neoclassical Piazza Vittorio Veneto where there are the Church of Santa Caterina and the Social Theater Giorgio Busca, unique of its kind for the presence of a nineteenth-century "horseshoe" room.
From the theater, take Via Calissano to the Church of San Domenico, a 1292 building that rests on the remains of a Roman building. It is one of the most significant monuments of the city now used as a space for art exhibitions, cultural events and concerts. If you find it open, don't miss the visit.
Continuing Via Calissano you will cross again Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main street of the center of Alba where our itinerary ends.
The undisputed capital of the Langhe, a well-known hilly area in Cuneo Province where are produced some of the most prestigious italian wines, is undoubtedly the city of Alba.
Located in the Lower Langa, at the right of the Tanaro river, it is surrounded by vineyards and is known not only for the wines, but also for the white truffle, protagonist of an International Fair held every year in the autumn.
Alba is a city rich of traditions, history and culture.
Its origins are ancient and date back to the Neolithic when the Bagienni, a Celtic-Ligurian population, settled there a prehistoric village that remained active until the arrival of the Romans.
At that point the settlement obtains the status of a colony under Latin law and takes the name of Alba Pompeia starting its urban and commercial transformation.
The city was equipped with octagonal walls and was accessible thanks to three main entrance routes at the three urban gates. The urban space was organized in square and rectangular blocks crossed by orthogonal streets according to the precise Roman building style.
Alba Pompeiana had also its own aqueduct and other public structures such as the forum, the theater and a monumental complex that may has been a religious nature.
The numerous finds that came to light as a result of the various excavation campaigns are currently visible at the F. Eusebio Civic Archaeological Museum; moreover, with the Alba Sotterranea project it is possible to make an archaeological tour by touching some of the 32 Roman sites in the city.
After the fall of the Roman empire Alba was affected by the barbarian invasions until 967 when Aleramo obtained the lordship of the Langhe from the emperor Otto I.
Thus were purchased the first churches and began a period of splendor. Become a free municipality, it changed the urban layout of the historic center, as we know it now, according to the dictates of the medieval period with narrow streets, noble palaces and tall towers.
It is between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that Alba takes on the nickname "City of the of the hundred towers", because of the numerous towers built as a symbol of the power of the local lords. A dozen of them currently survive.
After the Renaissance the city began to lose its autonomy and passed under different dominations until the Savoy one, in 1628.
During the eighteenth century it flourished above all from a cultural point of view and were built new baroque and neoclassical buildings.
During the Second World War Alba lived with Fascism and was at the center of the war operations, until the proclamation of "independent republic", the first partisan republic in Italy, obtaining the Gold Medal for Military Valor for its resistance.
Our visit to the capital of the Langhe starts from Piazza Michele Ferrero, formerly Piazza Savona, entitled to the entrepreneur who gave birth to the famous multinational company based in the city. From here, where elegant arcaded buildings, bars, shops and restaurants overlook, begin Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main artery of the historic center and ancient Via Maestra.
This street is the good living room of Alba and has not only prestigious shops , but also excellent food and wine showcases and beautiful historic buildings.
These include: Casa Varaldi, at the crossroads with Via Mazzini, with the facade showing simplified Liberty decorations; Casa Bergui, one of the first examples of Liberty recognizable by the elegant bay window: Casa Do, in exposed brick and reinforcements with square stone ashlars depicting jester and madman dances; Palazzo dei Conti Belli, decorated with geometric motifs: Serralunga Palace that preserves in the courtyard a double Renaissance loggia.
Along the way there is also the Church of the Maddalena, a Baroque art jewel created by Bernardo Antonio Vittone whose frescoes and decorations celebrate the Dominican order, the Blessed Margherita of Savoy and in general the Savoy dynasty.
Once the religious building was part of the Dominican Monastery founded by Blessed Margherita of Savoy and now, in the large internal courtyard, hosts the World White Truffle Market between October and November, the Civic Museum and the Civic Library.
Before ended the route in Piazza Risorgimento, look up and you will see the Bonino Tower, a XII century symbol of the Cerrati family.
Piazza Risorgimento is the centerpiece of the historic center of Alba. It is dominated by the Palazzo Comunale and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and are visible three city towers: the aforementioned Torre Bonino, the Torre Sineo and the Torre Astesiano, both in Via Cavour.
After visiting, if it’s free from commitments, the City Council Hall and the Cathedral, go in Via Cavour, another important road in the center that is the ancient decumanus maximo of the Roman settlement. Here there are other historic buildings including Casa Sacco, also called Loggia dei Mercanti, characterized by a portico with five pointed arches and a string course in Renaissance style.
Along the way you can see two other "lowered" towers: Torre Paruzza, in Vicolo dell'Angolo, and Torre Ravinale, at the corner of Via Pertinace.
Walk along Via Cavour to enjoy it until its end where Piazza Garibaldi marks the boundary of the historic center, then retrace your steps and turn into Via Sandro Toppino reaching Piazza Pertinace.
On this square overlook the Church of San Giovanni Battista, with a beautiful coffered ceiling and imported works inside, the Casa Riva stronghold, the Marro tower house, a medieval masterpiece also called Castellaccio, and, at its feet, the remains archaeological of the Roman theater.
At this point follow Via Pertinace returning to Via Cavour and take the narrow Via Vernazza on the left which will lead you to the Church of San Giuseppe. Built by the Pellegrini brotherhood, it preserves an archaeological tour in its basement. In the walk you did not miss the views on its bell tower that you can go up to enjoy the view over the city.
Continuing for a few meters you can admire Palazzo Finati, a nineteenth-century historic residence now used as a boutique hotel.
From the Church of San Giuseppe take Via Manzoni which will take you back to Piazza Duomo, where, at the corner with Piazza Rossetti there is the house of Beppe Fenoglio. Here the famous writer wrote his most important works and is now home of the Centro Studi Beppe Fenoglio, dedicated not only to the life and productions of the writer, but also to the territory of the Langhe, the memory of the Resistance and the painter Pinot Gallizio.
Once the visit is over, skirt the Duomo to its rear. You will thus have a different view of the building and you can also see Palazzo Burdese and Casa Dacomo with arcades, pilasters and frames.
In a corner there is also the Civic Boarding School. Built in the early 1930s, it represents the image of fascist efficiency.
After passing the building through Via Govone, you reach the neoclassical Piazza Vittorio Veneto where there are the Church of Santa Caterina and the Social Theater Giorgio Busca, unique of its kind for the presence of a nineteenth-century "horseshoe" room.
From the theater, take Via Calissano to the Church of San Domenico, a 1292 building that rests on the remains of a Roman building. It is one of the most significant monuments of the city now used as a space for art exhibitions, cultural events and concerts. If you find it open, don't miss the visit.
Continuing Via Calissano you will cross again Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main street of the center of Alba where our itinerary ends.
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