The Citadel of Alessandria was designed by Ignazio Bertola on behalf of Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy after the Treaty of Utrecht. Built between 1728 and 1732 by King Charles Emmanuel III, it was intended to serve as a barrier on the old Spanish military road between Genoa and Savona and to support the defence of the new state of Savoy. Due to its size (over 60 hectares), its typological structure and its state of preservation, the citadel is unique among European fortifications.

The Citadel is an emblem of culture, memory and defence, it is also a symbol of European planning: it is home to the Council of Europe’s Lighthouse Heritage Community project, which aims to develop new models of shared, sustainable and innovative management of cultural heritage. The value of the Citadel lies in its interdisciplinary nature: it is an “anthology of types of defence” (starting with the system devised by Sebastien de Vauban, military engineer to the Sun King) as well as a place of memory and collective ethical and social identity, with a view to the future.

In the FORTE CULTURA network, the citadel is represented by the association ‘Associazione Cittadella di Alessandria “Faro” di pace in Europa – Ente del Terzo settore’ (‘Alessandria Citadel Association “Faro” for Peace in Europe – Third Sector Organisation’). Chairwoman Prof. Anna Marotta (University of Turin) aims to strengthen the development processes in the citadel through the experiences of the international FORTE CULTURA network.