The Palazzo Municipale is also called the Palazzo Rosso (“Red Palace”) and is located in the Piazza della Libertà in Alessandria. The most striking part of the facade is the set of clocks below the roof.
Palazzo Municipale Alessandria
Useful Information
The address of the Palazzo Rosso is Piazza della Libertà, 1 – 15121 Alessandria. The building can only be viewed from the outside.
History and description
The Palazzo Municipale was built in 1772, to a design by the architect Giuseppe Caselli. After construction had to be interrupted at the end of the 18th century, it was resumed in 1825 (under the direction of Leopoldo Valizone). Five years later the palazzo was completed.
The nickname Palazzo Rosso is due to the color of the facade, which consists of two parts. Particularly striking are the large porticoes and the bells, 3.50 meters in diameter, on the top.
Consecrated in 1775, the municipal theater, which was part of the Palazzo Rosso, was destroyed in bombings in 1944.
Palazzo Municipale, what to see
The weathercock on the Palazzo Municpale dates back to the 9th century and was captured from the Casalesi in 1215, after a war. (Casalese is the name of the southern part of the province of Alessandria and is named after the town of Casale Monferrato.)
The clock on the left shows the phases of the moon’s appearance. In the middle is the pole star and at the very top the Pisces sign, which refers to the foundation of Alessandria, on March 31, 1168. The right hand clock shows the day of the week and the date.