Between Piazza Risorgimento , via Vittorio Emanuele II (the “Via Maestra” ) and via Cavour , the historic centre of Alba displays a unique stratification: the urban layout still follows the Roman castrum (Via Maestra as the cardo and via Cavour as the decumanus ) and, above this ancient grid, the medieval city of towers, porticoes and brick facades is grafted.
In the Middle Ages, Alba was often remembered as the "city of a hundred towers ," built by families for prestige and defense. Today, only a few slender , and many others survive as stumps incorporated into houses or "cut off" at roof height: vertical features that continue to define the city's skyline.
Among the most recognizable along the route of the historic center are the Sineo Tower (Piazza Risorgimento, corner of Via Cavour), the Bonino Tower (Piazza Risorgimento, corner of Via Maestra), the Astesiano Tower (in Via Cavour) and the Paruzza Tower (also in Via Cavour, linked to Palazzo Paruzza – headquarters of the Banca d'Alba).
Around the towers, the civil buildings complete the story: the Town Hall overlooks Piazza Risorgimento and is a building of fourteenth/fourteenth century , with subsequent interventions that have modified its appearance over time.
The result is a compact historic center, made up of glimpses and details that "speak" of centuries of urban life: along Via Cavour, in particular, the initial section still retains a strongly medieval fabric, with courtyards, porticos, and architectural traces that resurface in the corners and facades.
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