The archaeological sites, represent spectacular testimonies from the Roman Empire, architectonic engineering master-pieces that may be admired throughout the city, such as the imposing ruins of the Roman aqueduct, one of the best preserved of its kind found in the region of Piedmont. Not to miss the Roman baths, ruins of a vast complex dating from imperial times, the Roman fountain, the ruins of the artisan workshop in via Cassino and the mosaic paving under the arcades in piazza Bollente.
ROMAN BATHS – corso Bagni
The ruins of a large spa complex dating from imperial times were discovered in 1913 during the construction of a building next to the Grand Hotel Nuove Terme, that consist of a spacious pool for hot water (calidarium) originally entirely covered by marble slabs, surrounded by some rooms heated by the use of a hypocaust, an under floor heating system. The water for the functioning of the system was carried directly through a conduit from the Bollente spring.
The thermal building, together with the nearby amphitheatre discovered in the 1960s, occupied an area on the outskirts of the Roman town Aquae Statiellae, external to the inhabited centre but easy to reach via the Via Aemilia Scauri.
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THE ROMAN AQUEDUCT – zona Bagni
The Roman aqueduct represents one of the most significant and valuable historic monuments in Acqui Terme. In fact, it is the best preserved among monuments of its kind still existing in the territory of the region of Piedmont, and represents one of the most remarkable aqueducts found in northern Italy. The construction dates back to the beginning of Imperial times, probably from the Augustan age (beginning of 1st century AD). Nowadays, two distinguished features of the original structure remain, made up respectively of seven and eight pillars in stone masonry on a square base.
ROMAN FOUNTAIN – corso Roma
A public fountain from Roman times was brought to light during the excavations in the 1980s.
A rectangular shaped structure formed by stone slabs fixed by metallic braces, dating from the beginning of imperial times (1st-2nd century AD) originally supplied with water carried by the grand aqueduct, through lead tubing (fistula), still preserved today.
The fountain stood next to a home (domus) where the ruins of the exterior walls are still visible, alongside a road located at the centre of the Roman city, not far from the forum.
ROMAN THEATRE in via Scatilazzi
Located near piazza della Bollente, Aquae Statiellae’s ancient theatre dates from imperial times, and was brought to light at the end of the 1990s. It took advantage of the hill’s natural slope and faced the piazza below where the stage was also situated, whose ruins are today hidden under the modern buildings. Some of the spectators seats were cut directly into the hill’s rocky basement, joined by entrance staircases of which some relics are still visible.
The building must have created a beautiful monumental scenario along with the Bollente thermal spring and the bathing complex next to it that used its waters.
ROMAN RUINS in VIA CASSINO
The building, discovered in the early 1980s consists of an artisan workshop destined to the production of ceramic vases. It was made up of six rooms (in one the remains of an oven were recovered), distributed around a central courtyard with a well equipped with a stone well-curb.
The building with its portico overlooked a cobbled street, situated along the ancient via for Hasta (Asti), on the boundary of the old urban centre and dates back to the 1st-2nd century AD. It was probably used for a long time, until the beginning of the medieval period.
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