Castello dei Paleologi, Castle, national heritage site and archaeological museum in Acqui Terme, Italy
The Castello dei Paleologi is a medieval castle in Acqui Terme, in Piedmont, northern Italy, now home to an archaeological museum and a botanical garden within its walls. Much of what visitors see today dates from a reconstruction carried out in 1663, though parts of the surrounding wall and the drawbridge go back to the late 15th century.
The castle appears in written records from 1056, when it served as the residence of the bishops who governed the area. Over the following centuries it passed through the hands of the Paleolog family, then the Gonzaga of Mantova, and finally the House of Savoy in 1708, after which it gradually lost its role as a fortress.
Inside the castle, an archaeological museum traces the history of the region from the Stone Age to the medieval period across six rooms. The Roman section takes up most of the space and shows everyday objects, burial goods, and elements from the ancient city of Aquae Statiellae, giving a clear picture of life in that era.
The main entrance is on Via Morelli, with signs pointing to both the museum and the gardens inside the grounds. It is worth setting aside enough time to visit both the indoor museum rooms and the outdoor botanical garden, which keep different opening hours depending on the season.
Inside the castle walls there is a botanical garden known as the Birdgarden, a green space that many visitors walking through the museum rooms never think to look for. It sits within the same historic complex and offers a very different experience from the indoor exhibition just steps away.
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