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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Beppe Fenoglio (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 (1996–), Italian female volleyballplayer.
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