Cittadella of Alessandria
18th-century star fort, site of Italy's first tricolour flag.
The Cittadella of Alessandria is a star-shaped fortress located in the Italian city of Alessandria. Constructed during the 1700s under the Kingdom of Sardinia, it remains one of the most intact fortifications from that period. It is also unusual in Europe for preserving its original setting: no modern buildings obstruct the view of its ramparts, and no road encircles its moats. On 10 March 1821, during an uprising in Piedmont, Colonel Ansaldi hoisted the Carbonari’s blue, red, and black tricolour from the fortress’s bastions. This event marked the first time a tricolour flag was used in Italian history. Since 2006, the Cittadella has been on Italy’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.
- Location
- Alessandria, Italy, across the river Tanaro
- Built
- 18th century (construction began after 1713, main components completed by 1740s)
- Architect
- Ignazio Bertola
- Commissioned by
- King Vittorio Amedeo II; effectively built by King Charles Emmanuel III
- Area
- 74 hectares (180 acres)
- Notable event
- First use of a tricolour flag in Italian history (10 March 1821)
Lore & Background
The Cittadella of Alessandria was built after the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) transferred ownership from the Spaniards to the House of Savoy. King Vittorio Amedeo II commissioned the plan, and King Charles Emmanuel III oversaw its construction, completed in its main components by the 1740s. The architect Ignazio Bertola designed a six-star hexagon-shaped fortress, built at the expense of the ancient quarter of Borgoglio, forcing residents to relocate. The fortress extends over 74 hectares, with six bastioned fronts, tunnels, casemates, and a wide moat connected to the Tanaro river for flooding. The entrance is via a long stone bridge leading to a large area surrounded by multi-storey buildings.
Reader's Guide
The Cittadella first saw combat during the War of the Austrian Succession (1745–1746), resisting a French-Spanish army for seven months while still incomplete. During the First Italian Campaign, it fell to the Austro-Russian army in 1799 after three days of bombing. Under Napoleon, it was expanded and became a key fortress of the French Empire. In 1821, the garrison mutinied, and Colonel Ansaldi raised the Carbonari's blue, red, and black tricolour, a pivotal moment in the Risorgimento. The fort later held Young Italy prisoners, five of whom were executed in 1833. After Italian unification, it served as a command headquarters and barracks. In World War II, it was captured by Germans in 1943 and later by partisans in 1945. Decommissioned in 2007, it now houses a permanent exhibition of Royal Italian Army memorabilia. In 2014, Europa Nostra listed it as one of 'The 7 Most Endangered' sites due to weed growth.
Did You Know?
- The Cittadella is one of the few fortifications in Europe still in its original environment, with no buildings blocking views of the ramparts.
- On 10 March 1821, Colonel Ansaldi raised the blue, red and black tricolour of the Carbonari on the bastions, the first use of a tricolour flag in Italian history.
- The fortress was built at the expense of the ancient quarter of Borgoglio, forcing its inhabitants to relocate.
- In 1994, the citadel was flooded by the river Tanaro, and some areas remain filled with mud.
More in World Heritage Tentative List 1-24
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