Comune Tortona

corso Alessandria, 62 - 15057 Tortona (AL)
Tel. +39 (0131) 864.1
Fax: +39 (0131) 811.411
E-mail: sindaco@comune.tortona.al.it
http://www.comune.tortona.al.it
https://www.discoverderthona.it/

The city was founded in the 2nd century B.C. with the name of Derthona, at the crossroads of the consular roads Postumia and Fulvia: some archaeological remains are still visible in open-air sites, such as via Emilia, via Rinarolo and via Arzani. The most precious Roman finds, including the monumental sarcophagus in white marble of Elio Sabino, have been collected in the Palazzo Giudobono, municipal exhibition centre. The building was built in the 15th century as a stately home of the important noble family with a tower in the forecourt. Inside, an atelier of the master puppeteer Peppino Sarina has also been recreated, with numerous props of the Figure Theatre. The town, seat of one of the oldest dioceses in northern Italy, preserves numerous religious sites of great historical and artistic importance: besides the Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta and San Lorenzo, we recommend visiting the S. Maria Canale, the Sanctuary of Madonna della Guardia, with its gold statue visible from a great distance, and the Diocesan Museum, which holds a precious purple manuscript of the 5th - 6th century. A must for all painting lovers is the Divisionism gallery that gathers more than eighty works dating from the 19th and early 20th century, including canvases by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo. A delightful walk will take you to Colle Savo, now a park, in which a tower and some remains of the Castle walls recall that part of the medieval city was perched on higher ground for defensive reasons. The area is also famous for the wines; we mention the DOC Colli Tortonesi and the Timorasso, which has been recently rediscovered.