city state · Italy

Commune of Alessandria

1168 CE – 1348 CE (approx.) · capital Alessandria

A new city founded by the Lombard League in 1168 and named after Pope Alexander III, which held out against Frederick Barbarossa's siege.

Origins

The Lombard League founded Alessandria in 1168 at the confluence of the Tanaro and Bormida, settling people from nearby villages to block imperial allies such as Pavia and the March of Montferrat. The city was named in honour of Pope Alexander III.

Rule and society

Hastily fortified, Alessandria withstood a six-month siege by Frederick Barbarossa in 1174–1175, a key blow to the emperor before Legnano. In 1183 the city made peace with the emperor and was briefly renamed Caesarea. Governed by consuls and later a podestà, it fought its neighbours, especially the marquises of Montferrat, for control of the surrounding plain.

Decline and legacy

After periods under Montferrat and other lords, Alessandria passed in 1348 to Luchino Visconti and became part of the Lordship of Milan. It passed to the Duchy of Savoy in 1707, a transfer confirmed in 1713.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Commune of Alessandria. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-alessandria
MLA
“Commune of Alessandria.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-alessandria. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Commune of Alessandria.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-alessandria.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Commune of Alessandria’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/commune-of-alessandria (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻