Alba ( pms, label= Piedmontese, Arba; la, Alba Pompeia) is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, Italy, in the

Province of Cuneo Cuneo ( Italian), or Coni ( Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and H ...

. It is one of the main cities in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The town is famous for its white

truffle A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pe ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

production. The

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlappi ...

group Ferrero is based there. The city joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October 2017.

History

Alba's origins date from before the Roman civilization, connected probably to the presence of

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

and Ligurian tribes in the area. The modern town occupies the site of ancient Alba Pompeia, the name given after being officially recognized as a town by the

Roman consul A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo (c. 135 – 87 BC) was a Roman general and politician, who served as consul in 89 BC. He is often referred to in English as Pompey Strabo, to distinguish him from his son, the famous Pompey the Great, or from Strabo the g ...

while constructing a road from Aquae Statiellae ( Acqui) to

Augusta Taurinorum Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

(

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

). Alba was the birthplace of Publius Helvius Pertinax, briefly Roman emperor in 193. After the fall of the Western Empire, the city was repeatedly sacked by

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...

Burgundians The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...

, Byzantines,

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

and

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

. In the 11th century it became a free commune (or

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

) and was a member of the Lombard League.

Montferrat Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, ...

and the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

fought over the town; later it became a possession of the Gonzaga.

Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I ( it, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. He was nicknamed (, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression. Bein ...

conquered it twice, while later

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

battled for its possession. The Treaty of Cherasco (1631) assigned Alba definitively to

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Sa ...

. During

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

, it was part of the Republic of Alba (1796) and of the

Subalpine Republic The Subalpine Republic was a short-lived republic that existed between 1800 and 1802 on the territory of Piedmont during its military rule by Napoleonic France. History Piedmont was the main part of the Kingdom of Sardinia which, despite i ...

, both French clients, before being annexed to the French Empire in 1802. It was an

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements ...

center in firstly Tanaro department between 1802-1805, later in Stura one between 1805-1814 before liberation by Austrian troops. It was returned to the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...

(Duchy of Savoy's name after gaining Sardinia in 1720) in 1814. Alba won a Gold Medal for Military Valour for the heroic activity of its citizens in the

Italian resistance movement The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Socia ...

during the course of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. On 10 October 1944, the town was liberated by partisans who established a Republic of Alba which for a few weeks was able to maintain its independence from the Fascist Republic of Salò. The republic lasted until 2 November 1944, when the Republic of Salo retook it. French troops finally liberated it on 2 May 1945.

Geography

Approximately located at about 50 km from the cities of

and

Cuneo Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area. It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...

, Alba is placed on the right side of the river Tanaro. The climate is typically more drought than in other lands at the north of the Po river.

Main sights

Of the Roman city, which had a polygonal form, parts of the fortified gate and remains of some edifices with marble and mosaics can still be seen. Other attractions include: *Palazzo Comunale (13th century): city hall housing a ''Nativity'' (1501) by Macrino d'Alba; adjacent is the Bishop's Palace. *City towers (14th and 15th centuries): Alba was once known as the "City with hundred towers". * Duomo of San Lorenzo (12th-century): Roman Catholic cathedral built in Romanesque style, probably atop an Ancient Roman temple. It was restructured multiple times over the centuries, starting in the 15th century in a reconstruction patronized by bishop Andrea Novelli. The current appearance derives from a controversial 19th-century restoration; however, the three portals and the crypt remain from the original edifice. The church is well known for its wood-carved choir made in 1512 by Bernardino Fossati. The current belfry, from the 12th century, includes the original bell tower entirely. *San Domenico (13th-14th centuries): Gothic architecture church housing much of the most salient sacred artworks in town. It has a noteworthy portal with a triple arch within a pointed arch, a polygonal apse, and traces of Renaissance frescoes. During the

it was used a stable, but reconsecrated on 22 June 1827. *St John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista): Baroque architecture church housing a ''Madonna of the Graces'' (1377) by

Barnaba da Modena Barnaba da Modena (c. 1328-c.1386) was a mid-14th-century Italian painter who painted in the style of Byzantine art.Raimond Van Marle, ''The Development of the Italian Schools of Painting'', Springer Science & Business Media, 2012, p. 382-383 He ...

and a ''Madonna with Saints'' (1508) by Macrino d'Alba. * Santa Maria Maddalena (late-18th century): small late-Baroque church designed by

Bernardo Antonio Vittone Parish Church of Grignasco Bernardo Antonio Vittone (19 August 1704 – 19 October 1770) was an Italian architect and writer. He was one of the three most important Baroque architects active in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy; the other tw ...

and housing the relics of

Blessed Margaret of Savoy Margaret of Savoy (June 21, 1382 or 1390 – November 23, 1464) was Marchioness of Montferrat, and a Dominican Sister. Family Margaret was the eldest of the four children—all daughters—born to Amadeo of Savoy, Lord of Piedmont (and ti ...

. The city museums include the Federico Eusebio Civic Museum of Archaeology and Natural Sciences.

Economy

In addition to traditional agriculture, Alba is a very important center of wine. In the area of Alba, in fact, there are 290 wineries that cultivate an area of of land, producing an average of 61,200 hL of wine annually. The wines of Alba are among the most renowned in Italy and are divided into: * DOC: Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo. *

DOCG The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tip ...

Barbaresco Barbaresco is an Italian wine made with the Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont region in an area of the Langhe immediately to the east of Alba and specifically in the '' comune''s of Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive plus that ar ...

, Barolo, Moscato. The city has a thriving economy, boasting the confectionery industry's world-renowned Ferrero, the publishing house Società San Paolo and the textile firm

Miroglio Miroglio is an Italian firm specialising in the manufacture and distribution for sale of ready-to-wear clothing. Incorporated in Alba, Piedmont, Cuneo, Italy, the group has 36 business operations in 22 countries and 1,100 branded stores (of whi ...

. The town also houses the largest cooperative credit bank of Italy, by number of partners, the

Banca d'Alba Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Alba, Langhe, Roero e Canavese S.C. known as Banca d'Alba is an Italian cooperative bank based in Alba, Piedmont region. The bank is a member of Federazione Italiana delle Banche di Credito Cooperativo - Casse Rurali ...

, and the international food chain Eataly. UniEuro, the Italian chain of stores specializing in household electrical appliances and acquired by

Dixons Retail Dixons Retail plc was one of the largest consumer electronics retailers in Europe. In the United Kingdom, the company operated Currys, Currys Digital, PC World (with stores increasingly dual branded 'Currys PC World'), Dixons Travel and its s ...

in 2002, was also established in Alba. Alba is also famous worldwide for its

white truffle ''Tuber magnatum'', the white truffle (Italian language, Italian: ), is a species of truffle in the order Pezizales and family Tuberaceae. It is found in southern Europe. Distribution It is found mainly in the Langhe and Montferrat areas of the ...

s, and its annual Truffle Festival.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

, Alba has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

which is moderated by the proximity of the Mediterranean sea. Its winters are warmer, January is usually , and its summers are hot, when temperatures can reach . Rain falls mostly during the spring and autumn; during the hottest months rain is less common, July with and August with . During November and December, the town of Alba can be prone to fog.

Sport

The town’s

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club, A.S.D. Albese Calcio has been in existence since 1917.

Notable natives and residents

* Publius Helvius Pertinax (126–193), Governor of Britain ''c''.185–187 and Roman Emperor for the first 86 days of 193 AD was born in Alba. * The

(1390–1464), child bride and childless, youthful widow of Theodore II,

Marquess of Montferrat The Marquises and Dukes of Montferrat were the rulers of a territory in Piedmont south of the Po and east of Turin called Montferrat. The March of Montferrat was created by Berengar II of Italy in 950 during a redistribution of power in the no ...

established, ruled over, and was interred in a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

here. * Macrino d'Alba (c.1460–65 – c.1510–20) was a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

painter, born in Alba and largely active in northwest Italy. * Giuseppe "Pinot" Gallizio (1912–1964), an artist born in Alba and co-founder thereof the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus. *

Beppe Fenoglio Beppe Fenoglio (; born Giuseppe Fenoglio 1 March 1922 in Alba (CN) – 18 February 1963 in Turin) was an Italian writer, partisan and translator from English. The works of Fenoglio have two main themes: the rural world of the Langhe and the ...

(1922–1963) was a writer born in Alba and a (royalist) partisan fighter who participated in the brief liberation of the town from Nazi-Fascist control in 1944. *

Sara Bonifacio Sara Bonifacio (born 3 July 1996) is an Italian volleyball player who plays for Igor Gorgonzola Novara. Career Bonifacio joined the amateur volleyball club of Alba in 2005 then she was recruited for Club Italia a junior team managed by FIPAV. Sh ...

(1996-), Italian female volleyballplayer.

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Alba is twinned with: *

Arlon Arlon (; lb, Arel ; nl, Aarlen ; german: Arel ; wa, Årlon; la, Orolaunum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in and capital of the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. With a population of just over 28,000, it is th ...

, Belgium (2004) *

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica ...

, Slovakia (1967) * Beausoleil, France *

Böblingen Böblingen (; Swabian: ''Beblenga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Sindelfingen and Böblingen are contiguous. History Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Würt ...

, Germany *

Giresun Giresun (), formerly Cerasus (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς, Greek: Κερασούντα), is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. Etymology Giresun ...

, Turkey (2017) *

Medford, Oregon Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a metropolitan area population of 223,259, making the Me ...

, United States (1960) *

Sant Cugat del Vallès Sant Cugat del Vallès (; es, San Cugat del Vallés, link=no) is a town and municipality north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Known as ''Castrum Octavianum'' in antiquity (which literally means ''the castle of Octavianus'') and as ''Pins del ...

, Spain

References

Sources and external links

www.comune.alba.cn.it
– the official website of the city council
Alba Music Festival
artistic direction: Giuseppe Nova, Jeff Silberschlag, Larry Vote
Guide to Alba city
– Information, phone numbers and useful links at comuni-italiani.it
Information on Alba
– a very short tourist guide from www.piemonte-Italy.info
Coro Giovanile La Schola
– the website of the “La Schola” youth choir of the cathedral parish of Alba

– article from the Old Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913 {{Authority control Cities and towns in Piedmont Roman sites in Piedmont Wine regions of Italy Roero