Alessandria
[key], city, capital of Alessandria prov., in Piedmont, NW Italy, at the confluence of the
Tanaro and Bormida rivers. It is an industrial center and agricultural market. Manufactures
include wine, furniture, machinery, paper, and hats. Alessandria was built (1164–67) as
a stronghold of the Lombard League and was named for Pope Alexander III. At
first a free commune, the city passed in 1348 to the duchy of Milan and, in 1707, to the duke
of Savoy. Alessandria was the scene of a pro-Mazzini conspiracy in 1833. There are two
13th-century churches and remains of the city's medieval fortifications.
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