History and Culture

Traveling through Culture, History and Traditions

The province of Alessandria is a land of multi-faceted cultural expressions. Wide-ranging historical and artistic heritage, of contents that are deeply rooted in the area and in the popular culture, which we have often likened to a mosaic, made of pieces, which are singularly beautiful, but create an unparalleled overall design of the territory.

The cultural highlights of the province have given way to five tourist-cultural itineraries:

Archaeology in the province of Alessandria
Among the castles, historical buildings and residences in the province of Alessandria
Art itineraries and locations in the province of Alessandria
Along the Holy Trails in the province of Alessandria
Between history and popular tradition in the province of Alessandria

Castles, history, traditions

In the province of Alessandria

The extraordinary culture of the province of Alessandria, which has been handed down for centuries thanks to customs and traditions and through the most diverse forms of expression: language, music, local crafts, events, ancient knowledge, stories, characters, and curiosities. Thanks to the supervision of the Rocca Grimalda Ethnoanthropological Laboratory, which boasts extensive experience in the field, the points of interest were selected by combining a scientific criterion of veracity with a tourist criterion of usability.

The history of our territory is long and troubled, made up of slow transitions, gradual exchanges, but also a succession of incursions and conquests that have left behind somewhat damaged fortifications and defensive bastions. in every village.
The castles and palaces described have been selected, under the supervision of the Superintendencies, including some of the most important examples of historical, artistic, and architectural value. They also guarantee a minimum opening time and a fairly extensive calendar of openings or a reservation service structured according to tourist needs.

More info

The holy trail

In the province of Alessandria

Every part of the Province of Alessandria has been touched and shaped by the slow, constant passage of people, of merchants and pilgrims, who made their way along the Via Francigena. Pilgrims in particular left their mark in the form of religious traditions, places that fascinate with their rich heritage of history and art, but which also bear witness to popular culture.
The places of interest have been selected with the cooperation of the Department for Architecture, Countryside, Heritage, Art and History for the Region of Piedmont: the selection therefore includes the most important examples in terms of history, art and architecture with, at the same time, guaranteed opening hours and opening periods or a booking facility designed to meet the needs of tourists.

More info

Archeology

A brief list of places to visit that selects from the numerous museums and archaeological sites that abound in the province: a heritage consisting of important and strongly identifying findings from a thousand-year-old local history, marked by slow but constant movements, transitions, and events, through a temporal excursus from paleontological themes to medieval archaeology.

The points of interest were selected in collaboration with the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage of Piedmont and the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities from those that currently guarantee opportunities for use and services that promote cultural accessibility.

More info

Art

in the province of Alessandria

A tour of places where art of note is to be found and by which means people can also get to know our area more thoroughly; you might come across, for example, an unexpected great work of art or the place that gave inspiration to the artist or, indeed, the birthplace of an artist of international renown.

The places of interest which make up the itinerary have been selected under the supervision of the Department for Architecture, Countryside, Heritage, Art and History for the Region of Piedmont: the selection therefore includes the most important examples in terms of history, art and architecture with, at the same time, guaranteed opening hours and opening periods or a booking facility designed to meet the needs of tourists. Each site has its own page which is made up of a brief, precise description and a table detailing useful information for visitors