Alessandria
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 14 March 2022
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The city of Alessandria is the capital city of the Province of Alessandria with a population of 93,766 inhabitants.
Standing at an elevation of 95 metres above sea level, it covers a total area of 204 km² and lies 85 kilometres east of Turin, the regional capital of Piedmont. Situated between two rivers, the River Tanaro and the River Bormida, Alessandria is one of the biggest cities in Piedmont with a thriving market and an important railway junction. |
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The main sights in the city revolve the two most important squares: Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza della Libertà, The expansive Piazza Garibaldi is an important market square with elegant porticoes and side-streets branching off in every direction. The market spills over into the adjoining Piazzale Marconi which eventually leads into Piazza della Libertà, around 500 metres away.
Standing majestically on Piazza della Libertà is the Alessandria Town Hall, known by different names including the Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) or Palazzo Ghilini. Walking to the right of Palazzo Rosso you shortly come to Piazza Duomo, the home of Alessandria Cathedral, the most important religious building in the city.
Some way from the city centre, crossing the River Tanaro via a modern road bridge (Ponte Meyer), lies an intriguing area of Alessandria known as the Cittadella. The 18th century fortress has lived through a series of wars including World War Two and the Italian Risorgimento, with various purposes but mainly as a military base. These days it houses the Museo delle Uniforme, a museum devoted not solely to uniforms but also other military exhibits and regalia.
Alessandria's train station is very centrally-located, just a 6 minute walk (500 metres) from Piazza Garibaldi, a pleasant walk through the Giardini Pubblici (Public Gardens). Trains from Alessandria run west to Turin (Porta Nuova) with a journey time of 59 minutes, stopping long the way at Asti (23 minutes. Heading directly north it's an hour and 7 minutes to Novara or an hour and 24 minutes north east to Milan (Milano Centrale), stopping along the way at the nearby city of Tortona (18 minutes).
Particularly useful is the southbound train to Genoa on the Ligurian Coast which takes just 44 minutes, the same train continuing all the way down to Rome (around 6 hours), snaking its way down the main towns of the Tyrrhenian Coast.
The most convenient airports for Alessandria are Genoa's Christopher Colombus Airport which is an hour away by car (78 km) or Turin Airport which is an hour and 14 minutes away, a distance of 120 km.
There are lots of places to visit nearby Alessandria, not least the Monferrato wine region of which the provinces of Alessandria and neighbouring Asti (to the west) are a part of. There are dozens of vineyard towns to visit including Canelli, Barolo and Barbaresco among others. Even closer, and forming a ring around Alessandria are the historic towns of Tortona, Acqui Terme, Casale Monferrato and Asti itself.
Standing majestically on Piazza della Libertà is the Alessandria Town Hall, known by different names including the Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) or Palazzo Ghilini. Walking to the right of Palazzo Rosso you shortly come to Piazza Duomo, the home of Alessandria Cathedral, the most important religious building in the city.
Some way from the city centre, crossing the River Tanaro via a modern road bridge (Ponte Meyer), lies an intriguing area of Alessandria known as the Cittadella. The 18th century fortress has lived through a series of wars including World War Two and the Italian Risorgimento, with various purposes but mainly as a military base. These days it houses the Museo delle Uniforme, a museum devoted not solely to uniforms but also other military exhibits and regalia.
Alessandria's train station is very centrally-located, just a 6 minute walk (500 metres) from Piazza Garibaldi, a pleasant walk through the Giardini Pubblici (Public Gardens). Trains from Alessandria run west to Turin (Porta Nuova) with a journey time of 59 minutes, stopping long the way at Asti (23 minutes. Heading directly north it's an hour and 7 minutes to Novara or an hour and 24 minutes north east to Milan (Milano Centrale), stopping along the way at the nearby city of Tortona (18 minutes).
Particularly useful is the southbound train to Genoa on the Ligurian Coast which takes just 44 minutes, the same train continuing all the way down to Rome (around 6 hours), snaking its way down the main towns of the Tyrrhenian Coast.
The most convenient airports for Alessandria are Genoa's Christopher Colombus Airport which is an hour away by car (78 km) or Turin Airport which is an hour and 14 minutes away, a distance of 120 km.
There are lots of places to visit nearby Alessandria, not least the Monferrato wine region of which the provinces of Alessandria and neighbouring Asti (to the west) are a part of. There are dozens of vineyard towns to visit including Canelli, Barolo and Barbaresco among others. Even closer, and forming a ring around Alessandria are the historic towns of Tortona, Acqui Terme, Casale Monferrato and Asti itself.
Comune di Alessandria
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Province: Alessandria
Region: Piedmont Population: 91,089 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 204 km² Elevation: 95 metres Highlights: Piazza Garibaldi, Palazzo Rosso, Alessandria Cathedral Close by: Acqui Terme, Tortona, Casale Monferrato, Canelli Recommended stay: Alli Due Buoi Rossi |
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By car: Asti - 34 mins (38 km), Vercelli - 39 mins (55 km)
Fly to: Genoa Airport - 1 hour by car (78 km) |
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