Museo Civico di Palazzo Cuttica

The Civic Museum in Palazzo Cuttica di Cassine brings together art, archaeology and local history in an eighteenth-century residence in Alessandria's historic centre.

Why it matters

The museum's collections tell the story of Alessandria and its surrounding territory through archaeological finds, sacred art and objects connected with the Napoleonic period. Among its distinctive holdings are vestments and illuminated choir books associated with Pope Pius V and the Dominican convent at Bosco Marengo.

What to notice

Two eighteenth-century Flemish tapestries introduce the collection. A polyptych of the Coronation of the Virgin by Gandolfino da Roreto represents the Piedmontese Renaissance. The Di Negro Carpani collection includes pre-Roman and Roman archaeological material. Vestments and choir books linked to the Bosco Marengo foundation of Pope Pius V connect the museum's religious objects with a nearby centre of his life and work.

Context and history

Palazzo Cuttica takes its name from the family whose eighteenth-century residence became the setting for Alessandria's civic collections. The museum has accumulated paintings, archaeological finds, vestments and historical memorabilia, including material related to the battle of Marengo. The acquisition of the Cesare Di Negro Carpani collection added a major archaeological component.