Urban Tours - Ovada

Architecture, food and tradition between Piedmont and Liguria

PERCORSI URBANI (URBAN TOURS)

"Percorsi Urbani" is the initiative supported by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria, designed to get to know the cities and towns of the province of Alessandria through engaging visual storytelling. Original illustrations and routes between iconic monuments and hidden corners, enhancing culture and landscape. A fascinating experience designed for tourists and citizens.

Watch Fabio De Vivo's video and retrace his itinerary which you can find on the map below, together with a description of the main points of interest.

Ovada

Where the hills of Monferrato embrace the Ligurian Apennines, at the confluence of the Rivers Orba and Stura, Ovada was already inhabited by Celtic-Ligurian populations since ancient times; from the century BC it was a Roman post guarding the two fords on the rivers.

Surrounded by forests and vineyards, this area produces Ovada DOCG wine from Dolcetto grapes.

The architecture of the ancient village, with the verticality of the buildings, the narrow streets and sometimes the "Sea" wind,

are a reminder that this area belonged to the Republic of Genoa for more than 3 centuries.

Project created by Alexala with the contribution of the Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria Foundation

The video by creator Fabio De Vivo was made possible by the project "Discovering lower Piedmont" created by the SLALA Foundation

Itenary

From Piazza Castello the large staircase leads to the historic center and to
Piazza Mazzini , piazza della Loggia Vecchia, which was once home to the ancient Loggia Mercatale until the early 19th century;
a little further on, The Loggia of San Sebastiano , the ancient Parish church named after Santa Maria, already documented in 1200.
The adjacent Oratory of San Giovanni has a large access staircase and features magnificiently decorated interiors dating from 1700. The frescoes of the vault of the presybetry, the Glory of St. John are remarkable.
The wooden Crucifix is the work of Giovanni Battista Bissone, and can be dated back to the mid-17th century, the processional chest Beheading of the Baptist by Anton Maria Maragliano, dating back to the early 18th century.
Piazza Assunta - Parish church of N.S. Assunta built starting from 1771. The imposing facade which is over 20 meters high with the lateral bell towers 46 meters high, the vault features 19th-century frescoes by Pietro Ivaldi aka il Muto, the high altar in polychrome marble designed by Alessandro Antonelli. The many works worth mentioning include the painting Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, early 17th century work by Luca Giordano, the statue of Our Lady of the Assumption 18th century work by Carlo Cacciatori.
Palazzo Rosso Borgatta incorporates the tower of Porta Genovese, Palazzo Pesci with the family coat of arms carved on the portal.
Via San Paolo and Piazza San Domenico . Oratory Annunziata or dei Turchini was built during the 15th century, Palazzo Spinola, family of noble men and Genoese commanders.Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie known as San Domenico was built by the Dominican Father Cagnasso.The church was used as barracks during the Napoleonic period.
Home of San Paolo della Croce . In 1694, Paolo Daneo, founder of the Passionist Order and Protector of the city, is born in Ovada.
Palazzo Maineri Rossi - Civic Music School/marker] built by the Maineri family in the late 16th century, intended to house the Music school, named after the musician and poet Antonio Rebora

The walk continues and you reach the Giulio Maini Paleontological Museum dedicated to the naturalist from Ovada and set up inside the 14th-century Church of Sant'Antonio. Numerous fossils of shells, molluscs and minerals tell the story of Southern-Piedmont which was submerged by the sea for millions of years.
[marker lat="44.637760" lng="8.646141" name="Palazzo Delfino" content="Palazzo Delfino" gmaps="https://maps.app.goo.gl/yPRSoL3mapHM2LGBA"]Palazzo Delfino -Town hall/marker] - Regional Wine store
Built in 1890 by the banker Badaracco, in 1902 it was taken over by the Deflino family. In 1924, it was purchased by the Municipality and became the town hall. Since 2010, the cellars have been home to the Regional Wine Store.
[marker lat="44.640147" lng="8.646735" name="Piazzetta dei Cappuccini - Via Cairoli" content="Tappa 9: Piazzetta dei Cappuccini - Via Cairoli" gmaps="https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FdrVnojTGSyDymH8" tappa="9"]Piazzetta dei Cappuccini - Via Cairoli
Chruch of Immacolata Concezione , built in the mid-17th century to honor the ex-voto made by the people of Ovada to the Virgin Mary in 1631 to free the town from the plague.
Palazzo Maineri is currently home to the Civic Library and the Accademia Urbense.