Cities
Alba (CN)
My weight in Nutella and truffles: this was what the Pantagruelian French actor Gerard Depardieu asked Alba for in order to participate in the truffle fair, the Fiera del Tartufo 2005, when he graciously accepted the invitation of the Ferrero Foundation to participate. Alba is the capital of the white truffle and of Dolcetto, the red wine. This has made it a favourite stopping off point for tourists the world over interested in fine foods and wines. Alba is also a city of art that takes time to cultivate its own traditions. During the fair dedicated to that precious tuber, the truffle, there is a running of a donkey race, the Palio degli Asini. This is a humorous parody of the medieval Palio, or horse race, whose idea was hatched up in the post-war period by a group of long-time friends spurred on by Pinot Gallizio, a pharmacist and famous artist. What kind of trophy does the winner get? A piece of velvet (a palio) embroidered by Dominican nuns of the Blessed Margherita di Savoia. The race is preceded by the Giostra delle Cento Torri. This Joust of the 100 Towers is a procession in costume rife with mockery that takes place right in the middle of the city. The main street of the city is Via Vittorio Emanuele, the heart of its social, cultural, and commercial life. Here there are splendid examples of Baroque architecture, such as the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, the Dominican convent, which has been transformed into a municipal archaeological and science museum, the Museo Civico di Archeologia e Scienze Naturali “Federico Eusebio.”
Info
Palazzo Comunale - Piazza Risorgimento, 1 - 12051 Alba (Cn)
Tel.: +39.0173 292111 - Fax: +39.0173 290484
E-mail: alba@comune.alba.cn.it
www.comune.alba.cn.it
