Built on the ancient orthogonal structure that had the current "Via Medaglie d'oro" and "Via Enrico d'Aste" respectively as the Roman camp main road axes (
cardo and
decumanus), the town has its planimetric hub in the historical San Michele Square. Around it some palaces were built, which were historically the seats of political and religious authorities.
Cathedral of St Michael Archangel Built on the basic structures of the early Christian basilica put up by orders of
Constantius III between the 4th and 5th century, it has a façade with traces of the transformation from Romanesque to Gothic. From this same period are the two lateral portals of the main facade and a third one the left side of the church, that hosts a restored Lombard bas-relief; the central portal dates from 1669. The current design is the result of further elevations. The restoration works between 1964 and 1967 brought back the cathedral design to its original medieval aspect. The nearby steeple was attached to the church in the 13th century, built over the ruins of the old bell tower between the years 1391 and 1395. This construction is one of the last local examples of the use of bare bricks, progressively replaced by plastering.
Albenga Baptistery The baptistery is located to the side of the cathedral, as it was typical of the early Christian structures, and can be visited from the Loggia of the old City Hall Palace. It has an octagonal interior dating to the 5th century. The current appearance dates from a late 19th-century restoration work, carried on by Alfredo D'Andrade. During those works, the original basin vaulted roof, built with the Byzantine-
Ravennate technique of the "tubi fittili" (terracotta tubes), was completely destroyed. The mosaic decorations of the vault of the presbytery go back to the 5th and 6th centuries.
Old City Hall Palace Dating back to the early 14th century, it has undergone several renovations over the years before receiving its present appearance. It housed the Council Hall (the big bell still calls the citizens when the council committee meets in the new town hall) and the jail. The lower floor dates from the 14th century, while the upper one was reconstructed in 1387–1391. The façade towards the baptistery has Ghibelline-style merlons with two large staircases. Since 1933, it houses the Ingauni Museum. The latter, established in 1933 by
Nino Lamboglia, collects objects and medieval Roman (sculptures, inscriptions, sarcophagi and 15th-century frescoes), archaeological and epigraphic collections.
Old Bishop's Palace Located near the baptistery, it dates from the 11th century, with a 13th-century portal. It is the seat of the local bishop and houses the Holy Art Museum. The wing leading to the baptistery show several construction phases from the 13th and 14th centuries. The decoration with black and white stripes was added in 1463 under bishop Napoleone Fieschi. The heraldic fresco is by Giovanni Canavesio (1477). The Diocesan Museum of Albenga occupies a series of rooms decorated with frescoes, it houses works of art and findings from the excavation of the cathedral. Among the paintings stand out a
St. John attributed to
Caravaggio and
The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine by
Guido Reni.
Ancient remains Restructured by Emperor Augustus in 13 BC, the
Via Julia Augusta was the most important communication link in the Italian Riviera until the construction of the Napoleonic situated close to the sea; the current site of the Via Aurelia. Its path, with plenty of Roman buildings destined to funerary celebrations, makes an archaeological walk beautiful also from a panoramic and naturalistic point of view. Albenga is also home to the remains of a
Roman amphitheatre dating from the 3rd century BC. It represents the only example of theatrical construction knowns on the entire Western part of the Italian Riviera. Albenga is placed to a short distance from the Amphitheatre and the Via Julia Augusta. The funeral monument is called the
Pilone, standing over the eastern slope of the Mount. This is the most renowned and characteristic Ingauner funeral monument. Also in the mount area is the Palaeo-Christian Basilica of S. Calocero (4th–5th century). It has built on the latter martyr's tomb. Other archaeological side and interest points are: • South of the historical center is an archaeological area discovered during the excavations for the enlargement of the river banks between 20and 2002. Here, by the river, were found the ruins of the old thermal system and the early Christian site with the medieval San Clemente Church. • Pontelungo ("Long Bridge"), a medieval water main (c. 13th century). The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Pontelungo (early 18th century) is located close . • Palazzo Peloso Cepolla (16th century). It has got a corner tower since the 13th century. The entrance hall houses a fresco depicting the Roman usurper
Proculus, while the
piano nobile has got several Renaissance and Roman marble busts. It is home of the Roman Naval Museum, established in 1950. It shows more than a thousand Roman amphorae recovered from a ship in the 1st century BC, sank in the waters of Albenga. It was the first Roman cargo ship discovered and explored the bottom of the Ligurian Sea. There is also a section regarding the caves of prehistoric materials from val Pennavaira. • Torre Oddo, a tower with typical Ghibelline merlons • The
piazzetta dei Leoni ("Lions' Square"), situated between the cathedral's apse and the Costa's family medieval buildings. The latter brought the three Renaissance-style
peperino lions from which the square has taken its name in 1608. • Museum of the Oil Civilization. Located in an old mill site owned by the family Sommariva, it is an ethnographic exhibition dedicated to the processing of olives, olive oil and wine. ==Tourism==