Alba is a city of ancient origins that date back to 6,000 years before Christ: it was an important Neolithic station, which has yielded many important remains, preserved partly in the National Museum of Prehistory “Pigorini” of Rome, and also in the section dedicated to proto-history in the local Civic Museum “Eusebio” in Alba. This museum also hosts important evidence and material traces of the Roman period, when Alba’s name was Alba Pompeia and was a rich and prosperous Roman city, with cobbled streets, walls, prestigious houses, a massive tribunal, a theatre and other important buildings.

Some artefacts and monumental remains can be seen whilst strolling through the old town, where one can see the remains of the Capitoline temple, parts of the paved Roman road, and drainage systems, etc. But Alba is primarily a medieval city, with its towers dotting the landscape of the ancient city centre, with brick tower-houses, often decorated with beautiful terracotta friezes on the facades, arches, mullioned and three-light widows which are interspersed with baroque reconstructions, Art Nouveau and modern styles, creating a veritable open-air museum.

For those interested in more cultural and sacred tourism, Alba has numerous fine churches, some very ancient with real treasures of sacred art that can be freely admired. When in Alba, one cannot forget a stop at the Cathedral and the church of St. Dominic, a real jewel of Romanesque-Gothic art, one of a kind, and the church of the Madeleine, a triumph of marble and baroque shapes. Also the parish churches of the villages of Langa often contain real treasures of art, to discover and photograph. Alba, the undisputed capital of Langhe, is worth visiting slowly, appreciating the small glimpses of sudden squares, and narrow and quaint streets, with unique craft shops and bookstores, medieval towers, and Roman ruins, as well as the friendly smiles of its inhabitants.

However, leaving Alba will not end your journey through art, history and culture. The ridges of the Langhe hills are dotted with ancient villages, set amongst stunning scenery, with towers and medieval castles, military fortresses or noble palaces used for holidays and hunting that you will be free to visit. Historic buildings open their doors to visitors and historic wineries still remain, where the art of wine coexists with the forms and architectures of the cellars dug into the tufa, in the bellies of the hills, creating true cathedrals of wine and art. This is just a small taste of what Alba and its hills can offer; a place to discover and appreciate, day after day.