ALESSANDRIA BETWEN THE TANARO AND THE BORMIDA: A HARD CO-EXISTENCE

The floods of the Tanaro and the Bormida have been for Alessandria a continual danger from its foundation.

The list of the disasters caused by the overflowing of the two rivers over the centuries is endless.
Even Barbarossa, when he tried to besiege and to conquer the town in 1174, was caught by the violence of the water. On that occasion the torrential rains caused the overflowing of both the Tanaro and the Bormida and stopped the Emperor’s army.
At various times the flooding combined with other calamities: a plague epidemic in the 15^th century and an earthquake in the 18^th century were among the most dramatic examples.
The economic activities based on the rivers suffered damage on several occasions (as a result of frosts or periods of drought).
The watercourses caused troubles and destruction in the past but they also allowed the survival and the prosperity of the town, that is they always influenced the life of its inhabitants both in good and bad circumstances.