The 77 K emission and excitation, and room-temperature UV-visible spectra of $Lambda$-fac[Cr(L-ala)$_3$] (ala = alanine anion) have been measured. The ten electronic transitions due to spinallowed and spin-forbidden are assigned. With the observed electronic transition energies, ligand field optimizations have been performed to determine the bonding properties of L-alanine anion toward chromium(III). The angular overlap model (AOM) parameters obtained indicate that it is electron-donating ligand which has values of e$_{sigma}O$, e$_{pi}O$, and e$_{sigma}N$ slightly lower than those of glycine anion (gly). It seem that the decrease of the ligand field properties is due to steric effect of extra methyl group and inductive effect of adjacent carbonyl group.