San Pietro di Acqui: the octagonal bell tower of the Alto Monferrato

People almost always come to Acqui Terme for something else: for the sulphurous waters that steam in the town square, for the wines of the Alto Monferrato, for a spa break. And yet, just a few steps from the centre, on a quiet square, stands one of the oldest and least celebrated buildings in Piedmont. Locals still call it San Pietro, even though today it is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Few visitors seek it out, and that is part of its charm.

The history

Its story reaches far back. It rose within the boundary of an early Christian cemetery and, between the late 10th and early 11th century, was radically rebuilt in Romanesque forms, becoming for a time the town's cathedral before that role passed to Santa Maria Assunta. It then became the church of a Benedictine monastery, lived through centuries of monastic life and finally a slow decline, until the restorations of the early 20th century sought to return it to its original lines.

The octagonal bell tower

The element that truly strikes you is the octagonal bell tower, a rare example in Piedmont for such a remote era, set against the southern apse and opened at the top by a series of mullioned windows. Looking at the apse you can read an archaic, rough building technique: river pebbles, reused bricks, barely hewn stones laid in irregular courses. There is none of the perfection of the great construction sites; there is something more moving, the patient work of distant hands.

This is where undertourism finds its meaning. You will find no crowded ticket offices or queues: you will find silence, ancient stone, the light coming in through the mullioned windows. It is a place to experience slowly, perhaps combining it with a discovery of the centre of Acqui, the Roman aqueduct, or a stop at a winery.

When to go

The advice is to go in the shoulder seasons, when the Monferrato climate is mild and the spa town is less busy. Check opening hours on site, as they can vary, and respect the quiet of those at prayer: this is still a living church, not just a monument.

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Getting there

The church stands in Acqui Terme, in the Alto Monferrato. The town has its own railway station, with connections from Alessandria, Asti, Genoa, Ovada and Savona, and an adjacent bus terminal. By car it is reached via the routes of lower Piedmont and Liguria; the reference airports are Genoa Cristoforo Colombo, the nearest, and Turin Caselle.