Alba

Alba is a town in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, Italy, with a population of 30,000.

Understand
Alba was inhabited before Roman rule by Celtic and Ligurian tribal people. Under Roman rule, the area was the site of a town called Alba Pompeia. In the middle ages, the town was part of the Lombard league. For the next several centuries, parts of the region were invaded, occupied, and annexed by small Italian states, Spain, the Duchy of Savoy, and France, being secured as part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1814. In the last years of World War II, when Italy was torn by a violent civil war between fascists and anti-fascists, local partisans declared Alba to be a republic independent from fascist rule, though this independence only lasted a few weeks. Today, the town is known for its historic churches and UNESCO-recognized gastronomy.

Get in
From Turin hourly trains run from all the main terminals (1hr, ).

Get around
Alba is small enough that you can walk easily from place to place, though you'll see locals occasionally using bicycles or motorbikes.

Do
In late spring, usually from late May to early June, Alba is the location of a two-week classical music festival featuring mostly Italian and American performances of vocal and choral works, chamber music, and orchestral music in the city's medieval churches. People come from all over to listen. This is definitely something worth seeing for classical music lovers.

Buy
Alba has many small shops where you can buy wine, fresh food and produce, or souvenirs. On the weekends there's a large open-air market centered around the municipal parking lot along the Piazza Gugielmo Marconi.

Eat


There are also numerous osterie, or rather informal establishments that serve wine and local culinary specialties.

Drink
The area has many vineyards, and local wines include Asti, Barbaresco, Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba, and Barolo.



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