Saint Paul of the Cross, born after a plague
📅 Every year, on 18 October
Ovada celebrates its patrons Saint Paul of the Cross and Saint John the Baptist on 18 October; the birthplace of the former, from 1694, has been a national monument since 1918.
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Alessandria is the corner of Piedmont that keeps running into everyone else: Lombardy to the east, Liguria to the south, and a sliver that reaches Emilia-Romagna near Piacenza. It is the region's third largest province by area, after Cuneo and Turin, with 187 municipalities and about 427,000 residents, and it has never had a single centre. Alongside the provincial capital, six towns share the role: Novi Ligure, Tortona, Casale Monferrato, Acqui Terme, Valenza and Ovada.
The sensible way to see it is in stages. Casale Monferrato and Valenza sit in the north, Acqui Terme and Ovada closer to the Ligurian border, Tortona and Novi Ligure on the road down to Genoa, with Alessandria itself, a city of 89,000, as the knot where the routes meet. None of these towns lives off tourism, which is exactly what makes them worth taking slowly.
Towns in the province of Alessandria
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187 towns
Acqui Terme Albera Ligure Alessandria Capital Alfiano Natta Alice Bel Colle Alluvioni Piovera Altavilla Monferrato Alzano Scrivia Arquata Scrivia Avolasca Balzola Basaluzzo Bassignana Belforte Monferrato Bergamasco Berzano di Tortona Bistagno Borghetto di Borbera Borgo San Martino Borgoratto Alessandrino Bosco Marengo Bosio Bozzole Brignano-Frascata Cabella Ligure Camagna Monferrato Camino Cantalupo Ligure Capriata d'Orba Carbonara Scrivia Carentino Carezzano Carpeneto Carrega Ligure Carrosio Cartosio Casal Cermelli Casale Monferrato Casaleggio Boiro Casalnoceto Casasco Cassano Spinola Cassine Cassinelle Castellania Coppi Castellar Guidobono Castellazzo Bormida Castelletto d'Erro Castelletto d'Orba Castelletto Merli Castelletto Monferrato Castelnuovo Bormida Castelnuovo Scrivia Castelspina Cavatore Cella Monte Cereseto Cerreto Grue Cerrina Monferrato Coniolo Conzano Costa Vescovato Cremolino Denice Dernice Fabbrica Curone Felizzano Fraconalto Francavilla Bisio Frascaro Frassinello Monferrato Frassineto Po Fresonara Frugarolo Fubine Monferrato Gabiano Gamalero Garbagna Gavi Giarole Gremiasco Grognardo Grondona Guazzora Isola Sant'Antonio Lerma Lu e Cuccaro Monferrato Malvicino Masio Melazzo Merana Mirabello Monferrato Molare Molino dei Torti Mombello Monferrato Momperone Moncestino Mongiardino Ligure Monleale Montacuto Montaldeo Montaldo Bormida Montecastello Montechiaro d'Acqui Montegioco Montemarzino Morano sul Po Morbello Mornese Morsasco Murisengo Novi Ligure Occimiano Odalengo Grande Odalengo Piccolo Olivola Orsara Bormida Ottiglio Ovada Oviglio Ozzano Monferrato Paderna Pareto Parodi Ligure Pasturana Pecetto di Valenza Pietra Marazzi Pomaro Monferrato Pontecurone Pontestura Ponti Ponzano Monferrato Ponzone Pozzol Groppo Pozzolo Formigaro Prasco Predosa Quargnento Quattordio Ricaldone Rivalta Bormida Rivarone Rocca Grimalda Roccaforte Ligure Rocchetta Ligure Rosignano Monferrato Sala Monferrato Sale San Cristoforo San Giorgio Monferrato San Salvatore Monferrato San Sebastiano Curone Sant'Agata Fossili Sardigliano Sarezzano Serralunga di Crea Serravalle Scrivia Sezzadio Silvano d'Orba Solero Solonghello Spigno Monferrato Spineto Scrivia Stazzano Strevi Tagliolo Monferrato Tassarolo Terruggia Terzo Ticineto Tortona Treville Trisobbio Valenza Valmacca Vignale Monferrato Vignole Borbera Viguzzolo Villadeati Villalvernia Villamiroglio Villanova Monferrato Villaromagnano Visone Volpedo Volpeglino Voltaggio
The top 15 places in Alessandria
Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1 🏰 Castles & palaces Castello dei Paleologi 📍 Casale Monferrato Casale Monferrato's hexagonal fortress, built by the Palaiologi in 1352 and reworked by the Gonzaga, with a dry moat. 2 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Chiesa di San Domenico 📍 Casale Monferrato The Dominicans' church in Casale Monferrato: brick façade, portal of 1505 and a rose window with the zodiac. 
3 ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista 📍 Alessandria Neo-Romanesque church in Alessandria's Cristo quarter, consecrated in 1905, with Vignoli frescoes and a Mascioni organ. - 4 Chiesa di San Michele Casale Monferrato · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 5 Chiesa di Santa Caterina Casale Monferrato · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 6 Chiesa di Santa Varena Alessandria · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 7 Duomo di Casale Monferrato Casale Monferrato · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 8 Monumento equestre a Carlo Alberto Casale Monferrato · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 9 Palazzo Guasco Alessandria · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 10 Santuario di Nostra Signora della Guardia Ovada · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 11 chiesa di Nostra Signora Assunta Ovada · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 12 Castello di Francavilla Bisio Francavilla Bisio · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 13 Castello di Lercaro Ovada · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 14 chiesa dell'Immacolata Concezione Ovada · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 15 chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie Ovada · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
Alessandria and around, on the map
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
✨ Piedmont by theme
🍷 Food & wine 3 🛶 Lakes 3 🏔️ Mountains 2 🏛️ UNESCO heritage 2 🏘️ Villages 1 ♨️ Spa towns 1
Tours, tickets and experiences
Bookable on GetYourGuideProvince of Alessandria
Upcoming events in Alessandria
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Feast of Saints Simone and Giuda
📅 Every year, on 28 October
On 28 October Ricaldone, a municipality of 675 inhabitants in the province of Alessandria, celebrates its patron saints Simone and Giuda.
Feast of Saint Charles Borromeo
📅 Every year, on 4 November
On 4 November Tagliolo Monferrato celebrates its patron Saint Charles Borromeo; the town also preserves the Castello di Tagliolo Monferrato.
Our Lady of Salvation and Saint Baudolinus, patrons of a city born to defy Barbarossa
📅 Every year, on 10 November
Alessandria celebrates Our Lady of Salvation and Saint Baudolinus on 10 November; the city was founded in 1168 by the towns of the Lombard League to lure Emperor Frederick Barbarossa into Italy, and withstood his siege before the Battle of Legnano.