Alba-la-Romaine town was founded in Roman times and bore the name Alba Helviorum ("Alba of the Helvii," an ancient Celtic people). It was the capital of the Helvii and became the episcopal see during the 4th century. From the Middle Ages until 1904, it bore the name Aps, the family name of the local proprietors.
On 15 September 1948, the Painter André Lhote published in the newspaper Combat an article that described "the stony streets of Alba, its walls irregular checkerboards with alternate haphazardly arranged black and white stones, which makes this a wonderful material, a little austere, that is found throughout the Ardèche roads. The Abandoned houses still have their roofs which is miraculous (...). Here is a village eagerly waiting for its resurrection. What is the Artist, the intellectual has his nest egg, one or two dozen surplus notes that could be put into the work to be done: save a beautiful old house which miraculously survived the war and universal contempt, moreover to ensure a noble vacation in a country where the most capricious combinations of natural elements abound?".
From 1949 many foreign artists and personalities settled and rebuilt houses in Alba-la-Romaine, including:
The current name of the village was formalized on 30 May 1986. Previously the village had been called only Alba.
Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Alba-la-Romaine and Ardèche Department in 2008
In 2010, the commune had 1,407 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the town since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.
Dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, the Château of Alba had a military function as well as being a prestigious residence. It is listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments and is open to the public (exhibitions, events).
