Sunrise

Access

Alba is easily reached by car via the motorway (Alba exit), just 60 km from Turin and 90 km from Milan. The railway station, on the Bra-Ceva line, offers connections with Turin and Liguria, while the nearest airports are Turin-Caselle (70 km) and Milan-Linate (120 km). The provincial road network easily connects all the municipalities of the Langhe and Roero, with tourist bus services during major events.

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Introduction

Alba, the beating heart of the Langhe and Roero, stands on a gentle rise at an altitude of 172 metres, surrounded by an amphitheatre of vineyards that outline its characteristic landscape. A city with a millenary past, as testified by the exhibits in the Federico Eusebio Civic Museum, Alba combines the pride of its glorious medieval past - symbolised by the imposing red towers that still stand in the historic centre - with a lively contemporary reality linked to food and wine excellence. A true jewel of Piedmont, it is universally known as the capital of white truffles and great wines, but also as a crossroads of culture and traditions rooted in a rich and complex history.

Description

The Alba area covers 53.59 km² between the gentle hills of the Langhe and Roero, shaped by centuries of human labour and the courses of the Tanaro and Cherasca rivers. This unique landscape, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alternates between orderly vineyards - where prestigious wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco are born - and woods rich in truffles and hazelnut groves. The historic centre, enclosed by ancient Roman and medieval walls, develops around Piazza Risorgimento, the beating heart of the city with its arcades and historic cafés.
Alba's origins date back to pre-Roman times, when the Liguri Stazielli founded Alba Pompeia, which later became an important Roman municipium. In the Middle Ages it distinguished itself as a free commune, protagonist of bitter struggles with Asti, while in the Renaissance it experienced its greatest splendour under the Gonzaga family. Illustrious figures include the blessed Father Giroldo da Alba, the man of letters Pinot Gallizio and the partisan Fenoglio, who immortalised the Langhe and the Resistance in his works. The 20th century saw Alba become the world capital of the white truffle, without losing its peasant soul.
The Alba economy revolves around three pillars: quality agri-food (with Ferrero, a global company founded here in 1946), wine-growing of excellence (with over 290 wineries in the area) and food and wine tourism. Typical products range from the white truffle of Alba to DOCG wines (Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto), from cheeses such as robiola to the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe hazelnuts. Local craftsmen boast master lute-makers and producers of wooden and ceramic objects inspired by rural traditions.
Alba's cultural life reaches its peak in the autumn with the International White Truffle Fair, an event that transforms the town into a world gastronomic salon, and the Palio degli Asini, a historical re-enactment in costume that challenges the town districts in an entertaining race. Peasant traditions come alive in village festivals such as the Vendemmia Festival and in the typical cuisine, where the tajarin al tartufo, brasato al Barolo and peperoni con la bagna cauda stand out. Particularly evocative is the procession of San Lorenzo, the city's patron saint, which combines devotion and folklore every 10 August.
For nature lovers, Alba offers endless opportunities for excursions between the Sentieri del Barolo, cycling routes that wind between castles and wine cellars, and the Natural Park of the Roero, with its evocative 'rocche' (gullies). Not to be missed is the ascent to the Torre Sineo, which offers a breathtaking view of the Langhe, and the route along the Colline di Barbaresco, amidst medieval villages and UNESCO World Heritage vineyards. A curiosity: according to legend, Alba was founded by the mythical king Albalonga, who named the city after his lost capital.

Information

Area: 53.59 km²
Altitude: 172m
Maximum elevation:
Number of inhabitants: 30,940 as of 31.12.2024
Name in dialect:Alba
Name in dialect:Albesi
Patron Saint:St. Lawrence (10 August)
Bordering municipalities: Barbaresco, Benevello, Borgomale, Castiglione Falletto, Corneliano d'Alba, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Guarene, La Morra, Monticello d'Alba, Neive, Piobesi d'Alba, Roddi, Serralunga d'Alba, Treiso, Trezzo Tinella
Website: www.comune.alba.cn.it