Seminario Vescovile

The Episcopal Seminary of Acqui Terme faces the cathedral across Piazza Duomo. Designed by Bernardo Antonio Vittone and built between 1755 and 1772, it is a major example of Piedmontese Baroque institutional architecture.

Why it matters

The seminary brought the work of a leading Piedmontese architect to Acqui Terme. Its position opposite the Romanesque cathedral creates an architectural dialogue between the eleventh and eighteenth centuries within Piazza Duomo.

What to notice

Vittone's design is known for its balanced proportions and restrained Baroque detail. Inside, a paired staircase rises in intersecting flights, the feature known as the scalone a forbice. A chapel added in the late nineteenth century reflects a later phase in the building's development; a bronze Sacred Heart by Gianni Remuzzi is also recorded in the complex. The former monastery of Santa Caterina, converted for use as the minor seminary, extends the institution's architectural history.

Context and history

Construction began in 1755 and continued until 1772, during the final period of Vittone's career. The seminary provided a permanent institution for the education of diocesan priests. Its later history includes the addition of a neo-Gothic chapel in the late nineteenth century. The building forms part of the ecclesiastical group around the cathedral and Bishop's Palace in Piazza Duomo.