The left aisle apse chapel, the left transept and the chapels of the left nave
Point of interest 9
Listen to the audio guide
Transcript
You’ve reached the last phase of this journey inside the Cathedral of Acqui Terme.
Here is the apse chapel dedicated to the “Immaculate” covered in rococo stuccoes dating from 1766, and a pleasant late eighteenth century marble statue featuring the Virgin crushing a snake.
Further on your right, is the “Chapel of Saint Guido”
that houses the urns in which the mortal remains of the City’s Patron Saint are preserved. The balustrade and the chapel’s marble altar, in a Baroque style were commissioned to the Swiss Antonio Ferrari in 1730 by the city council, whereas the altarpiece that overlooks it is preceding, from 1645 and is a masterpiece by the Genoese artist David Corte.
The decorative architecture of the walls with the stained-glass windows date back to 1934, and follow as the already quoted “Chapel of the Crocifisso” a project by the canon Alessandro Thea.
Go down the stairs of the presbytery and along the nave.
Continue beyond the church’s side exit, where you can admire the “Chapel of Santa Maria delle Grazie” –
upon the altar is a copy of the successful “Madonna of Foligno” by Raffaello, that owes its design to Giuseppe Gualandi, an Architect from Bologna, an eclectic and prolific fulfiller of ecclesiastical structures in Acqui and the entire diocese.
Continue along the aisle, and after a series of wooden confessional booths in a rococo style, you’ll reach the baptistery, placed before the side exit, in the place generally ordered by the Council of Trento. Worthy of attention, it is a very important part of the church and a big call for the devoted.
Its chapel was designed by the Savoy Architect Giovanni Battista Nicolis de Robilant:
the elaborate baptismal font in a rococo style
surmounted by a wooden group that represents “Christ’s Baptism”
dates back to 1764, and is a work of art by the sculptor Angelo Maria Ganna, whereas the stuccoes, artistically similar to those of the “Immaculate” Chapels and of the “Santo Rosario”, date from 1771.
The iron gate commissioned by the Municipality of Acqui Terme in the nineteenth century, completes the setting, surmounted by the Council’s emblem. All the local children from Acqui receive their christening from this baptistery that represents a fundamental place for the people’s identity.
This was the final part of the tour that ends here with this audio-guide, kindly donated by the Lions Club of Acqui Terme Host. It allows for visitors, the devoted and tourists to learn and appreciate all about the hidden treasures in the Cathedral. We sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed your visit and have experienced wonderful emotions, with the hope that you can spread these sensations onto your friends and family that will be warmly welcomed.
Point of interest 8
The central apse with the main altar and dome
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The interactive guide to the Cathedral of Acqui