Urban Tours of Tortona

The illustrious town with a thousand-year history

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.

Tortona

Nestled between the great plains of Alessandria and the famous Tortona Hills, which head towards the Apennines, from the 11 century BC, the town was a flourishing Roman colony thanks to the transit of the famous communication routes, the Via Postumia, the Via Fulvia and part of the Via Emilia Scauri.

The palazzi, churches and monuments are the visible traces of centuries of history.

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

The long urban route of the ancient Via Emilia is the most important street of the town today, home to the most important historical sites, it is the shopping street and pedestrian street. From north to south of Via Emilia we meet: the ORSI MUSEUM , long-standing factory of farming machinery and more,
the CHURCH OF SAN MATTEO rebuilt in the late 17th century by the Dominicans, the interior is home to a painting attributed to Barnaba da Modena 1370 – wooden cross of the 14th century.;
nearby the MARITIME MUSEUM connected to the town because during the Second World War, Fabbrica Orsi produced shipbuilding material and many people of Tortona were transferred to work at the port of Genoa.
Along the via Emilia is PALAZZO GUIDOBONO of the 15th century, home to the:
MA-DE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM which exhibits Roman finds discovered in the area, on the upper floor the CIVIC ART GALLERY where the works of local artists are on show, the rooms of
ATELIER SARINA pay tribute to Peppino Sarina, a famous pupeteer working in the early decades of the 20th century.
Nearby, the CIVIC THEATER dating to 1836, exquisitely frescoed,
the LIBRARY – forrmer Town Hall built in 1830, a little further on the CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA Canale
dating to 1040, frescoes inside date to the 15th century, paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries.
PIAZZA DUOMO , with the CATHEDRAL of SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA e S. LORENZO built on the site of the former Church of San Quirico, destroyed in 1574 to build the new cathedral, consacrated not yet completed in 1583, the cathedral was completed in 1883.Inside, exquisite works and the relic of San Marziano, patron saint of the town. The nearby BISHOP'S PALACE dates to 1578.
MEDIEVAL PALAZZETTO , dated to the late 14th century, hosts the gallery of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Tortona, IL DIVISIONISMO , which exhibits works of the major representatives of the Italian artistic culture in the historical-social context, the Scapigliatura, the Divided Technique, approaches of Symbolists and Futurists.
Along the Via Emilia we meet the arcades already existent in the 14th century, rebuilt during the 19th century, continuing between squares and bars/restaurants.
just outside the center we meet the SANCTUARY OF NOSTRA SIGNORA DELLA GUARDIA built by Don Luigi Orione, declared a Saint in 2004, works began in 1928; the tower reaches 60 metres in height, the Madonna with Child statue is 14 metres tall in bronze covered in gold.
CASTLE PARK
Extending for almost 8 hectares with 12,000 trees, situated in the hilly area just above the historic center is an authentic urban forest;
from the top, where the view sweeps over the Po Valley, it is possible to see what remains following the destruction by Napoleon in 1801, namely the bell tower of the church of the fort, iconic symbol of the town.