What to see in our region

Acqui Terme has something strange and fascinating about it. You walk through the center, turn a corner, and suddenly find yourself standing in front of a fountain from which steam is rising. It is not a special effect, not an art installation: it is real water, sulfurous, salty, brominated, and rich in iodine, in the middle of the square at a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius. It is one of the few cities in the world where a natural hot spring is literally located in the historic center, accessible to everyone, at any time. We are talking about the Bollente.

The building housing the spring is a small octagonal temple in an eclectic style, designed by architect Giovanni Cerruti and inaugurated in 1879. Elegant and solid, it has the appearance of a 19th-century monument that breathes a rich history. In the center of the spring, no less than 560 liters of water flow per minute — a remarkable flow rate that has supplied the city's thermal baths with water for centuries and still attracts curious visitors from far and wide. Right next to it stands the City Clock Tower, nicknamed the tower without foundations because, incredibly enough, it rests on the surrounding houses rather than on the ground. It was built in 1763 on the foundations of an old gate in the medieval city wall and stands proudly beside the spring to this day, almost like a sentinel.

The roots of this place go back much further than the 19th century. Acqui was already known and frequently visited in Roman times, when the thermal waters had recognized therapeutic value and the baths were meeting places. On Via Saracco, the street leading to Piazza della Bollente, beneath the old arcades, the remains of a mosaic floor from that period, discovered in the 19th century, can still be seen. Later excavations brought to light the remains of a Roman pool, a fountain, other buildings, and even the old hospital of Sant'Antonio Abate in Balneas. A piece of a buried city, discovered by chance, demonstrating how this corner of Piedmont was already a place of healing and passage.

The water of the Bollente is more than just a visual spectacle. Its chemical composition, rich in sulfur, bromine, and iodine, makes it particularly effective in treating various ailments. In the thermal baths of Acqui, it is primarily used for respiratory conditions, but also for rheumatism, arthritis, and skin conditions. Thermal mud baths, prepared by mixing the spring water with carefully selected types of clay, complete the city''s therapeutic offerings. In the underground reservoir, before it mixes with the surface water, the temperature can reach up to 120 degrees Celsius: a detail that gives an idea of the energy beneath the feet of those strolling leisurely through the center of Acqui.

Throughout the centuries, the Bollente has also played a distinct folkloric role. According to legend, newborns in Acqui were taken to the spring immediately after birth and briefly immersed in boiling water. Those who survived — and they probably all survived, since it was only a moment — were given the title sgaiento, which means burned in the Acqui dialect. A bizarre tradition, which sounds almost cruel today, but which shows how central this place was to the life and collective imagination of the community. A transitional ritual connected with water, as if the city itself had to acknowledge its children through its most precious resource.

There was another historical figure associated with the Bollente whom almost no one remembers today: the brentau. He was responsible for transporting the brenta, a galvanized metal container filled with hot water straight from the spring, to the homes of the inhabitants of Acqui. Before the advent of modern heating systems, this was an indispensable service, and those who transported the brenta earned their living from it. The brenta had a spike at the top, a so-called broca, which served as an indicator of the amount of water being transported: up to 50 liters could be carried per load, a considerable weight. The brentau were well-known figures in the city, often recognizable by their nicknames. One of the most famous was Caudren. And some older residents of Acqui still remember a female brentau, a figure so deeply etched in the local imagination that she even appeared on postcards of the city.

Nowadays, you see bottles of Brenta water almost exclusively at antique markets or during one of the most anticipated events of the year: the Palio del Brentau, which takes place every September in Acqui Terme. It is a real competition, complete with participants in costumes, where competitors battle to carry water from the spring. The winner is the one who carries the most water within the set time. It seems simple, but with 50 liters on your back, it becomes a whole different story. It is one of those moments when a city chooses not to forget, to keep alive a memory that would otherwise completely fade between generations.

The Bollente is, in short, the symbol of a city that has built its identity around water, healing, and tradition. A spring that has seen Romans, medieval residents, 19th-century visitors, and contemporary tourists pass by, that has fed spas, supplied homes with water, fueled legends, and inspired rituals. It is worth pausing for a moment before that octagonal sanctuary, watching the steam rise, and perhaps asking a local what it means to them. Then walk into Via Saracco, look for the Roman mosaics beneath the porticoes, and realize that in Acqui, history is not to be found in museums: it is on the street, beneath your feet, and it is still bubbling.