Alba is considered the capital of the Langhe, and has big-city confidence and energy while retaining all the grace and warmth of a small rural town.
Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is considered the capital of the UNESCOHuman Heritage hilly area of Langhe, and is famous for its white truffle and wine production.
The confectionery group Ferrero is based there. The city joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October 2017.
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 entirely the original bell tower.
- 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 Napoleonic Wars 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 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 and housing the relics of Blessed Margaret of Savoy.
The city museums include the Federico Eusebio Civic Museum of Archaeology and Natural Sciences.
Alba’s considerable gastronomic reputation comes courtesy of its white truffles, dark chocolate and wine. Its annual autumn truffle fair draws huge crowds and the odd truffle-mad celebrity.
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 700 hectares (1,700 acres) of land, producing an average of 61,200 hL of wine annually.[6]
The wines of Alba are among the most renowned in Italy and are divided into:
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.
The town also houses the largest cooperative credit bank of Italy, by number of partners,[7] the Banca d’Alba, and the international food chain Eataly. UniEuro, the Italian chain of stores specializing in household electrical appliances and acquired by Dixons Retail in 2002, was also established in Alba.
Alba is also famous worldwide for its white truffles, and its annual Truffle Festival.
