Acqui Terme is located in the heart of northern Italy’s Piedmont region, surrounded by breath-taking vineyard landscapes recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Its hot mineral waters, extremely rich in therapeutic properties, were already known by the Romans, who founded the ancient town of Aquae Statiellae.
Today, Acqui Terme continues this long spa tradition, offering medical, wellness and beauty treatments in the thermal facilities built around its three hot springs: Bollente, Acqua Marcia and the mud lake Lago delle Sorgenti.
The Municipality Acqui Terme is a Founding Member of EHTTA.
The ruins of Acquae Statiellae, an important thermal centre in Roman times, may be admired through Acqui Terme still today, both at the Archaeolgical museum,and at a fine selection of open-air archaeological sites, including the old Roman baths.
After the Roman splendor, the town fell in silence, but would revive in the 9th century, with the statute of free municipality achieved in 1274. By the end of the Medieval Ages new thermal facilities began to develop and in the 17th century Acqui Terme is already an emerging spa town. The town’s full development as a spa resort comes at the end of the 18th century, when the Municipality take control of the sources and the first modern cure establishment is built, in 1879.
At the end of 1980’s Acqui’s waters returns to the administration of the Municipality and the regional government, after years of state ownership, from 2017 they are owned by a private firm, continuing a process of rebuilding and renewing of its infrastructure, still in progress today.
The Bollente Spring flows with a capacity of 560 liters per minute and, with its high mineral content, is the primary source for the thermal treatments. Between 1870 and 1880 the Engineer Ceruti built the Greek style marble aedicule – a small temple or shrine, built in order to emphasize the importance of Acqui’s thermal heritage. Built in an eclectic style embellishes this charming piazza.
The Bollente waters combined together with the water from the Lago della Sorgenti is used at the thermal establishments of Regie Therme Acqui located in the Bagni area, at one kilometer from the city center, near the Roman aqueduct. The water from the Lago delle Sorgenti gushes out at 50ºC, forming a lake with therapeutic mud deposited at the bottom. Mud bath therapies have been popular in Acqui Terme since the early 14th Century and are still in use today.
The third source, the Acqua Marcia, was discovered much later, during the second half of the 18th century, and it has a minor flow compared with the other springs. With a temperature of 19º C, it is mainly used as drinking water and for some inhalation treatments, as it is rich in sulphur compounds.
Acqui Terme’s thermes combine ancient spa rituals from East and West with modern health and wellness treatments, providing visitors a regenerating experience. Whether you have just a few hours or a whole day, they’re the perfect place to relax and pamper yourself.
Besides the famous Acqui’s mud therapies, with analgesic and muscle relaxant properties, the thermal facilities offer a wide range of treatments, such as inhalation treatments, vascular hydro-gymnastics, vaginal Irrigations, nerve rehabilitation, along with top spa beauty services.
The line of cosmetic products created by the Regie Terme Acqui is based on fusion between the sulphur-bromine-iodine thermal water and active ingredients with tested efficiency. An extensive range of skin and body care solutions produced with eco-certificated vegetal active ingredients, deriving from controlled cultivations; and allergen –free fragrances.
Acqui Terme has a lively arts scene, including annual major events, like the Art Anthological Exhibition, which every year showcase work from the great masters: Pablo Picasso (2015), Salvador Dalí (2016), Marc Chagall (2017), etc.or the international dance Festival “Acqui on Stage”, an event taking place in the splendid setting of the municipal open-air theatre G. Verdi, welcoming a succession of prestigious academic companies
Every autumn the town host the prize giving ceremony of the “Premio Acqui Storia”, a historical literature festival with an esteemed price born in 1968 in memoriam of the sacrifice of thousands of Italian soldiers belonging the “Acqui Division”, who fell massacred by the Germans in Kefalonia in 1943.
The spa town is also a preferred destination for wine and food lovers, set in a region of genuine flavours. The Acqui Terme Regional Wine Cellar “Terme & Vino” is situated in the cellars of an historic building dating from the XIth Century. Here you can buy and taste D.O.C and D.O.C.G wines: and most of all Dolcetto d’Acqui and Brachetto d’Acqui served along with local products.
