Alba, Piedmont

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Alba
Arba (Piedmontese)
Comune di Alba
PmAlba01.jpg
View of the city of Alba
Alba (Italia)-Stemma.svg
Location of Alba
Alba, Piedmont
Italy provincial location map 2016.svg
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Alba
Location of Alba in Italy
Italy Piemonte location map.svg
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Alba
Alba (Piedmont)
Coordinates: 44°42′N08°02′E / 44.700°N 8.033°E / 44.700; 8.033
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
Province Cuneo (CN)
Frazioni Belmonte, Biglini, Camairana, Gallo, Ghiglini, Luisetto, Magliano, Mussotto, Prandi II, Ricca-San Rocco Cherasca, Rubbo, San Rocco Seno D'Elvio, Scaparone
Government
  MayorAlberto Gatto
Area
[1]
  Total
53.59 km2 (20.69 sq mi)
Elevation
172 m (564 ft)
Population
 (1 January 2021)
  Total
31,215
  Density580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Demonym Albese(i)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
12051
Dialing code 173
Patron saint St. Lawrence
Saint day10 August
Website Official website
The Cathedral of Alba. AlbaCN0001.jpg
The Cathedral of Alba.
A view of Via Vittorio Emanuele in the center of Alba. AlbaCN0002.jpg
A view of Via Vittorio Emanuele in the center of Alba.
View over Alba in the distance from Rodello's hilltop. Panorama su Alba.jpg
View over Alba in the distance from Rodello's hilltop.

Alba (Piedmontese : Arba; Latin : Alba Pompeia) is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the Province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The town is famous for its white truffle and wine production. [2] [3] The confectionery group Ferrero is based there. The city joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October 2017. [4]

Contents

History

Alba's origins date from before the Roman civilization, connected probably to the presence of Celtic 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 Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo while constructing a road from Aquae Statiellae (Acqui) to Augusta Taurinorum (Turin). 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, Burgundians, Byzantines, Lombards, Franks, Hungarians and Saracens. In the 11th century it became 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 Gonzaga. Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy conquered it twice, while later France and Spain battled for its possession. The Treaty of Cherasco (1631) assigned Alba definitively to Savoy. During Napoleonic Wars, it was part of the Republic of Alba (1796) and of the Subalpine Republic, both French clients, before being annexed to the French Empire in 1802. It was an arrondissement center in firstly Tanaro department between 1802 and 1805, later in Stura one between 1805 and 1814 before liberation by Austrian troops. It was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia (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 during the course of World War II. 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 Turin and Cuneo, Alba is placed on the right side of the river Tanaro. The climate is typically drier 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:

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 700 hectares (1,700 acres) of land, producing an average of 61,200 hL of wine annually. [5]

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, [6] 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.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Alba has a humid subtropical climate which is moderated by the proximity of the Mediterranean sea. Its winters are warmer, January is usually 5 °C (41 °F), and its summers are hot, when temperatures can reach 35 °C (95 °F). Rain falls mostly during the spring and autumn; during the hottest months rain is less common, July with 43 mm (2 in) and August with 51 mm (2 in). During November and December, the town of Alba can be prone to fog.

Climate data for Alba
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)5.2
(41.4)
8.0
(46.4)
13.6
(56.5)
18.0
(64.4)
22.8
(73.0)
26.6
(79.9)
28.8
(83.8)
27.4
(81.3)
23.6
(74.5)
18.2
(64.8)
11.8
(53.2)
6.4
(43.5)
17.5
(63.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)1.6
(34.9)
3.6
(38.5)
8.6
(47.5)
12.9
(55.2)
17.2
(63.0)
21.3
(70.3)
23.2
(73.8)
22.1
(71.8)
18.6
(65.5)
13.5
(56.3)
8.2
(46.8)
3.0
(37.4)
12.8
(55.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−2.0
(28.4)
−0.8
(30.6)
3.6
(38.5)
7.8
(46.0)
11.6
(52.9)
16.0
(60.8)
17.6
(63.7)
16.8
(62.2)
13.6
(56.5)
8.9
(48.0)
4.6
(40.3)
−0.3
(31.5)
8.1
(46.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches)53
(2.1)
51
(2.0)
86
(3.4)
113
(4.4)
124
(4.9)
87
(3.4)
43
(1.7)
51
(2.0)
76
(3.0)
107
(4.2)
93
(3.7)
64
(2.5)
948
(37.3)
[ citation needed ]

Sport

The town's football club, A.S.D. Albese Calcio, has been in existence since 1917.

Notable natives and residents

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Alba is twinned with: [7]

See also

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References

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "White Truffles from Alba". www.lifeinitaly.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  3. "The White Truffles of Alba". Italy In SF. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  4. "ALBA, Italian city at the heart of the Piedmont region, joins the network of UNESCO Creative Cities - Bocuse d'Or". www.bocusedor.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. "VinoStore.it". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  6. "Alba, oggi 14mila soci in piazza per l'assemblea della banca cooperativa più grande d'Italia". La Repubblica. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  7. "Ufficio Gemellaggi". comune.alba.cn.it (in Italian). Alba. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.