Albenga - Baptistery

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.

The Baptistery is a paleochristian structure that stands adjacent to the Albenga Cathedral. Inscriptions date construction to the 5th century. The layout is that of a decagon with an octagonal drum. The large, rectangular pool is still designed for adult baptism by immersion. Seen left is a niche with late-Roman Empire Christian mosaics.