Lying at the centre of a vast plain, close to the Apennines, Alessandria was founded as a “new town” in the second half of the 12th century. It brought together ancient ”curtes regiae” - including Marengo, Borgoglio, Foro, Gamondio and Rovereto - which were inhabited as far back as the early Middle Ages.

Its geographical position, at the intersection of the routes crossing the plain (the Francigene Ways) and Via Marengo which linked the Ligurian coast with the Alpine passes, soon made it a pivotal communication point for the Po valley. Lombard by culture and tradition since the days of the city-states, the seigniories, and Spanish rule, the city was incorporated into Piedmont in 1707, when its citadel became part of the defensive system of the House of Savoy. The suburb of Marengo is associated with Napoleon's victory over the Austrians, while the development of local industry centred on hats (Borsalino) and silver.

The church of Santa Maria di Castello, the heart of the old quarter of Rovereto, St. Peter's Cathedral with its historic artistic heritage, the many 18th-century civil and religious buildings which are still present in the city centre, the characteristic 19th-century look of certain streets and squares. These are just some of the attractions of a city of unobtrusive charm, which is brimming with history and has remained true to its vocation as a meeting point for different regional cultures.