Alba, Piedmont
Alba is a town with 30,925 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) in the northwestern Italian region of Piedmont. It is located in the province of Cuneo, on the edge of the Po Valley and is the capital of the hills of the Langhe. The inhabitants are called in Italian Albesi.
Alba is the seat of the diocese of Alba the Roman Catholic Church.
Geography
Alba is located 50 km south of Turin on the river Tanaro - a large tributary of the Po - between the hills of the Langhe and Roero.
It is the largest town of the Langhe and is located 60 km northeast of the provincial capital of Cuneo, 27 km southwest of Asti and 13 km east of Bra. Little above the town, the Stura di Demonte flows in the river Tanaro.
History
The settlement history of Alba dates back to the Neolithic period back (6th to 3rd millennium BC). The Ligurians settled here. 173 BC the area came under the rule of the Roman Empire and is documented since 89 BC under the name of Alba Pompeia as a Roman municipium.
In the Middle Ages Alba was conquered by the Lombards and suffered from the invasion of the Saracens. In the 12th century it became a free city ( comune ) and joined the Lombard League of the North Italian cities.
Contested between Montferrat and the Visconti, it was the rule of the Gonzaga to, was conquered three times by Charles Emmanuel I, and lost again and then fell into the power struggle between France and Spain. With the peace of Cherasco ( 1631) Alba fell to the Savoy.
During the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte here existed the Republic of Alba between 26 April 1796 19 April 1801. Between October 10 and November 2, 1944 called here the local resistance movement against the fascist dictatorship in Italy again the Republic of Alba.
Policy
Mayor Maurizio Marello ( Partito Democratico, dial 2009).
Twinning
- United States Medford (Oregon, USA), since 1960
- Slovakia Banská Bystrica (Slovak Republic), since 1969
- Germany Böblingen ( Germany ), since 1985
- France Beausoleil (France), since 1995
- Belgium Arlon ( Belgium), since 2004
Economy and infrastructure
The city is surrounded by famous wine and fruit growing areas and is a center of the confectionery industry ( since 1946 the headquarters of the company Ferrero ). Moreover, in Alba, the corporate headquarters of the company MONDO, one of the largest producers of rubber pads and balls. In addition MONDO manufactures special sports flooring and upgraded since 1976, all athletic stadiums for Olympic Games from.
Traffic
To the west the Autostrada A33 runs with two connection points for Alba ( - Ovest -Est ). Furthermore, the city lies on the railway line Alessandria Cavallermaggiore. The inner-city public transport is handled by five bus routes.
Culture and sights
From Roman times, the remains of a fortification with walls and a gate are preserved, and some lined with mosaics building. Among the most important buildings include the cathedral from the 15th century and dedicated to St. John the Baptist Church ( Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista ). In May 2009, the new Transfiguration Church ( Chiesa della Transfiguration ) was inaugurated in the rapidly growing district must Otto, a jewel of modern architecture.
The Cathedral of Alba
Towers in Alba
Via Vittorio Emanuele
Specialty
The famous wines of the Langhe and the white truffle, which can be found in the immediate area, especially in October lure many tourists to the city and its surroundings.
Personalities
Sons and daughters:
- Publius Helvius Pertinax ( 126-193 ), 87 days before his assassination Roman Emperor
- Roberto Longhi (1890-1970), art historian
- Michelangelo Abbado (1900-1979), violinist, conductor and music teacher
- Beppe Fenoglio (1922-1963), writer
- Sergio Bergonzelli (1924-2002), screenwriter and film director
- Cardinal Giovanni Coppa ( born 1925 ), Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus
- David Berbotto (* 1980), swimmer
People with relationship to the city:
- Marcus Hieronymus Vida (1485-1566), poet and humanist, from 1532 to his death bishop of Alba
- Pietro Ferrero senior (1898-1949), founder of the Ferrero Group ( lived since 1942 in Alba ), son of Michele and the grandson of Giovanni and Pietro