Novi Ligure

Novi Ligure is a town in the Province of Alessandria in northwestern Italy, located at a junction for railway lines. The settlement spreads across a gentle hillside at 197 meters elevation, surrounded by fields and low rises that mark the transition from the plains to the Ligurian coast.

In 970, Emperor Otto I granted this land to the monastery of San Salvatore in Pavia, which named and managed the settlement as Curtis Nova. Over the centuries, the town passed between the rule of the Visconti, the Republic of Genoa, and later the Kingdom of Savoy, before becoming part of unified Italy in 1861.

The name comes from a Latin word for new land, and the influence of the Ligurian republics still shows in the facades of the old quarter. Families from Genoa built their country residences here, and the frescoes on the outer walls link the architecture of the coast to this inland town.

The old center can be explored on foot, and the railway connections make day trips to Genoa, Turin or Milan straightforward. Most of the chocolate and confectionery plants lie outside the center, but individual shops in town sell local products.

The Museo dei Campionissimi holds jerseys, bicycles and photographs commemorating Costante Girardengo and Fausto Coppi, two cyclists from this area. The collection also displays medals and personal items that document the everyday life of riders in the 20th century.

Location: Province of Alessandria

Capital city: Novi Ligure

Elevation above the sea: 197 m

Shares border with: Basaluzzo, Bosco Marengo, Gavi, Pozzolo Formigaro, Serravalle Scrivia, Tassarolo, Cassano Spinola, Pasturana

Website: https://comune.noviligure.al.it

GPS coordinates: 44.75917,8.78556

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:00