A city of northwest Italy east-southeast of Turin. It was founded c. 1168 as a stronghold of the Lombard League. Population: 91,700.
Alessandria
Dictionary:
Al·es·san·dri·a (ăl'ĭ-săn'drē-ə, ä'lĕs-sän'-)  |
A city of northwest Italy east-southeast of Turin. It was founded c. 1168 as a stronghold of the Lombard League. Population: 91,700.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Alessandria |
Alessandria (älās-sän'drēä), city (1991 pop. 90,753), capital of Alessandria prov., in Piedmont, NW Italy, at the confluence of the Tanaro and Bormida rivers. It is an industrial center and agricultural market. Manufactures include wine, furniture, machinery, paper, and hats. Alessandria was built (1164-67) as a stronghold of the Lombard League and was named for Pope Alexander III. At first a free commune, the city passed in 1348 to the duchy of Milan and, in 1707, to the duke of Savoy. Alessandria was the scene of a pro-Mazzini conspiracy in 1833. There are two 13th-century churches and remains of the city's medieval fortifications.
| Wikipedia: Alessandria |
For other uses, see Alessandria (disambiguation).
| Alessandria | |||
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| — Comune — | |||
| Comune di Alessandria | |||
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  Alessandria
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| Coordinates: 44°55′N 08°37′E / 44.917°N 8.617°ECoordinates: 44°55′N 08°37′E / 44.917°N 8.617°E | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| Region | Piedmont | ||
| Province | Alessandria (AL) | ||
| Frazioni | Spinetta Marengo, Castelceriolo, Lobbi, San Giuliano Nuovo, San Giuliano Vecchio, Mandrogne, Cascinagrossa, Litta Parodi, Valle San Bartolomeo, San Michele | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Piercarlo Fabbio ([[List of political parties in Italy|Popolo delle Libertà]]) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 204 km2 (78.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 95 m (312 ft) | ||
| Population (31 August 2009) | |||
| - Total | 93,922 | ||
| - Density | 460.4/km2 (1,192.4/sq mi) | ||
| - Demonym | Alessandrini, Mandrogni | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 15121-15122 | ||
| Dialing code | 0131 | ||
| Patron saint | San Baudolino | ||
| Saint day | November 10 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Alessandria (Lissandria in Piedmontese) is a city and comune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. The city is sited on the alluvial plane between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, c. 90 km southeast of Turin.
Alessandria is also a major railway hub.
Contents |
History
Alessandria was founded in 1168 upon a preexisting urban nucleus, to serve as a stronghold for the Lombard League, defending the traditional liberties of the communes of northern Italy against the Imperial forces of Frederick Barbarossa. Alessandria stood in the territories of the marchese of Montferrat, a staunch ally of the Emperor, with a name assumed in 1168 to honor the Emperor's opponent, Pope Alexander III. In 1174–75 the fortress was sorely tested by Imperial siege and stood fast. A legend (related in Umberto Eco's book Baudolino, and which recalls one concerning Bishop Herculanus’ successful defense of Perugia several centuries earlier) says it was saved by a quick-witted peasant, Gagliaudo: he fed his cow with the last grain remaining within the city, then took it outside the city walls until he reached the Imperial camp. Here he was captured, and his cow cut open to be cooked: when the Imperials found the cow's stomach filled with grain, Gagliaudo was asked the reason to waste such a rich meal. He answered that he was forced to feed his cow with grain because there was such a lot of it, and no room to place it within the city. The Emperor, fearing that the siege would last too long, left Alessandria free. (Malaria was probably the real cause of his departure.) A statue of Gagliaudo can be found on the left corner of the city cathedral. Alessandria was granted a charter as a free commune in 1198, but entered into jealous conflicts with the older communes of the region, in particular with Asti.[1]
In 1348 Alessandria fell into the hands of the Visconti and passed with their possessions to the Sforza, following the career of Milan, until 1707, when it was ceded to the House of Savoy and henceforth formed part of Piedmont.
With Napoleon's success at the Battle of Marengo (1800), it fell to France and became the capital of the Napoleonic Département of Marengo. During this period a substantial fort was built to the north of the city containing impressive and substantial barracks which are still used as a military HQ and stores (2006). The remains of a second fort to the south of the city (Christo quarter) have been sliced in two by a railway.
From 1814 Alessandria was Savoyard territory once more, part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
During the years of the Risorgimento, Alessandria was an active center of the liberals.
In a suburb, Spinetta Marengo, the Battle of Marengo is reenacted annually, on June 14.
Alessandria was the first capital of an Italian province to be governed by a Socialist: the clockmaker Paolo Sacco was elected sindaco. July 25, 1899.
Alessandria was a tactical military target during World War II and was subjected to intense Allied bombing, the most serious being the raids of April 30, 1944, with 238 dead and hundreds wounded, and April 5, 1945, with 160 deaths, among them 60 children from the children's asylum in Via Gagliaudo. On end of that month the city was liberated of the German occupation (1943-1945) by the partisan resistance and troops of Brazilian Expeditionary Force
On November 6, 1994 the Tanaro flooded a good part of the city, causing major damage, especially in the Orti quarter.
Geography
Climate
Although in Northern Italy, Alessandria experiences a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) characteristic of more southern areas of the country.
| Weather data for Alessandria | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 11 (51.6) |
12 (53.2) |
14 (57.6) |
17 (62.2) |
21 (68.9) |
24 (75.0) |
27 (81.0) |
27 (81.0) |
24 (75.7) |
20 (68.5) |
15 (59.2) |
12 (53.6) |
19 (65.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 5 (41.0) |
6 (42.3) |
8 (46.2) |
11 (51.1) |
14 (57.4) |
18 (63.5) |
21 (69.1) |
21 (68.9) |
18 (63.9) |
14 (57.2) |
9 (48.7) |
6 (43.0) |
12 (54.4) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 106.7 (4.2) |
94 (3.7) |
106.7 (4.2) |
86.4 (3.4) |
76.2 (3.0) |
53.3 (2.1) |
27.9 (1.1) |
81.3 (3.2) |
99.1 (3.9) |
152.4 (6.0) |
111.8 (4.4) |
81.3 (3.2) |
1,077 (42.4) |
| Source: Intellicast[2] 2009-09-26 | |||||||||||||
Main sights
 |
This section requires expansion. |
Museums
- The Marengo Battle Museum
- Antiquarium Forum Fulvii
- Sale d'arte
- I percorsi del Museo Civico
- Museo del Fiume
- Museo di Scienze Naturali e Planetario
- Museo Etnografico "C'era una volta"
- Museo del Cappello Borsalino
Events
- The annual Fraskettando SkaBluesJazz Festival (official web site), which takes place on the first weekend of July, has showcased the Blues Brothers, Eddie Floyd, Al Di Meola, Taj Mahal, Soft Machine, Mario Biondi, Mick Abrahams & Clive Bunker and many others.
- Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition Premio Città di Alessandria
- International Rally "Madonnina dei Centauri".official web site
People born in Alessandria
See also: Category:People from Alessandria
- Saint Baudolino (c.700–c.740), hermit of Forum Fulvii
- Francesco Filiberti (15th century), sculptor
- Georgius Merula (c. 1430–1494), humanist
- Giovanni Mazzoni (15th–16th century), painter
- Giorgio Soleri (16th century), painter
- Giuseppe Vermiglio (16th–17th centuries), painter
- Giovanni Migliara (1785–1837), painter
- Andrea Vochieri (1796–1833), patriot
- Urbano Rattazzi (1808–1873), statesman of the Risorgimento
- Francesco Faà di Bruno (1825–1888), mathematician and priest
- Virginia Marini (1844–1918), actress
- Angelo Morbelli (1854–1919), painter
- Blessed Teresa Grillo Michel (1855–1944), founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Divine Providence.
- Sibilla Aleramo (1876–1960), painter
- Pietro Morando (1889–1980), writer
- Giovanni Ferrari (1907–1982), footballer
- Walter Audisio (1909–1973), partisan
- Umberto Eco (born 1932), writer
- Gianni Rivera (born 1943), footballer
Twin towns — Sister cities
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy
Alessandria is twinned with:
Argenteuil, France, since 1960
Jericho, West Bank, since 2004[citation needed]
Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, since 1961
Karlovac, Croatia, since 1963
Rosario, Argentina, since 1988
See also
- Villa del Foro, a western suburb of the town which was the site of a Roman settlement.
References
- ^ "Alessandria - LoveToKnow 1911". www.1911encyclopedia.org. http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Alessandria. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
- ^ "Alessandria historic weather averages". Intellicast. http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=ITXX0106. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: alessandria |
- The official website of the city council (Italian)
- Guide to Alessandria city - Information, phone numbers and useful link
- Travel Guide to Alessandria
- discount for young people of Alessandria (Archived 2009-10-25) (Italian)
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alessandria". Read more |
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- Pietro Abbà‐Cornaglia
- Ponti (family name)
- Roccaforte (family name)
- Marengo (city, Italy)
- Marengo (family name)
- Valenza (family name)
- Vignali (family name)
- Angelo Morbelli (art)
- Ignazio Gardella (architecture)
- Mirabelli (family name)
- Passalacqua (family name)
- Rosano (family name)
- Cesare Tallone (art)
- Claudio Desderi
