Albenga - Duomo di Albenga

Albenga is on the Gulf of Genoa. It was built around the 4th century B.C. Founded in BC and was the capital of the Ingauni, a Ligurian tribe. The area became Roman and Albingaunum received 45 BC. Roman citizenship under Julius Caesar. After the end of the Roman Empire, the city suffered from Visigoth raids, which partially destroyed and plundered Albenga.

Albenga established itself as a medieval municipality in 1098. That same year, Albenga, with her own banner and troops joined the First Crusade and was granted free trade rights by the King of Jerusalem. Later, after Frederick Barbarossa's invasion of northern Italy, the city supported him and joined the Ghibelline coalition, which was never abandoned in the centuries that followed. In 1159 Albenga received the imperial investiture for its entire territory.

Today the city is characterized by more than ten slender family towers. A church was founded here as early as the fifth century. The current structure dates from the Middle Ages and was built around 1100, with a major remodeling in the second half of the 12th century and another in 1582. The bell tower was rebuilt in its current form in the 1390s.

The frieze on the facade is badly damaged - it appears that some specific symbols have been knocked out, while some others (the pig or bear) appears untouched.