The primitive Duomo di Alessandria, dedicated to Saint Peter, was built in 1170 at the present-day Piazza della Liberta. Later demolished and rebuilt between 1291 and 1297 by the architect Ruffino Bottino, the building underwent modifications and enlargement until, in 1803, Napoleon decided to raze it in order to create an extensive Piazza d’Armi. In August of 1818, however, a Napoleonic Decree chose the former church of San Marco and the annexed Dominican convent as the seat for the Duomo. The restoration work was entrusted to the Architect Cristoforo Valizzone and the new Cattedrale (Cathedral), open for services in 1810, was consecrated, as was the rest of the ancient structure, to Saint Peter. In 1844, the City acquired part of the former Dominican convent, and turned it into an elementary school and pre-school. A unique detail of the Cattedrale di Alessandria is certainly the 106 meter pointed bell tower, second in height only to the Torrazzo della Cattedrale in Cremona. In the building’s interior, there is a beautiful wooden statue of the Madonna della Salve, patron of the city, and beautiful paintings by Guglielmo Caccia.
