| Alba | |||
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| — Comune — | |||
| Città di Alba | |||
| View of the city of Alba | |||
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Alba
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| Region | Piedmont | ||
| Province | Cuneo (CN) | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Maurizio Marello (since June 23, 2009) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 54 km2 (20.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 172 m (564 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 31,341 | ||
| • Density | 580.4/km2 (1,503.2/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Albesi | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 12051 | ||
| Dialing code | 173 | ||
| Patron saint | St. Lawrence | ||
| Saint day | August 10 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo. It is considered the capital of the hilly area of Langhe, and is famous for its white truffle, peach and wine production.[1][2] The confectionery group Ferrero is based in Alba.
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Alba's origins date from before the Roman civilization, connected probably to the presence of Celt and Ligurian tribes in the area.
The town is on the site of the ancient Alba Pompeia, probably founded by the Roman consul Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo while constructing a road from Aquae Statiellae (Acqui) to Augusta Taurinorum (Turin). Alba was the birthplace of Publius Helvius Pertinax, one of the shortest reigning Roman emperors.
After the fall of the Western Empire, the city was repeatedly sacked by Burgundians, Lombards and Franks. In the 11th century it become a free commune (or city-state) and was a member of the Lombard League. Montferrat and the Visconti fought over the town; later it became a possession of the House of Gonzaga. Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy conquered it twice, while later France and Spain battled for its possession. The Treaty of Cherasco assigned Alba definitively to Savoy.
Alba won a Gold Medal for Military Valour for the heroic activity of its citizens in the Italian resistance movement during the course of World War II. In 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.
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:
The city museums include the F. Eusebio Municipal Museum of Archaeology and Natural Science.
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 cultivating an area of 700 hectares of land, producing an average of 61,200 hl of wine annually.[3]
The wines of Alba are among the most renowned in Italy and are divided into:
The city has a thriving economy, being able to count the confectionery industry, world-renowned, Ferrero, a publishing house such as the Società San Paolo and on the estimated textile industry Miroglio.
In the town houses the largest Cooperative Credit Bank of Italy, by number of partners, the Banca d'Alba, and the international food chain Eataly. Alba has also been established UniEuro, the Italian chain of stores specializing in products, telephones and electrical appliances.
Alba is also famous worldwide for its white truffles, so much that goes on the annual Truffle Festival.
The town’s football club, A.S.D. Albese Calcio has been in existence since 1917.
Alba is twinned with: