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Church of St Augustine in Acquapendente: from Gothic to Baroque because of a candle
The Church of Sant'Agostino, located in the centre of Acquapendente (in the province of Viterbo), was originally built in Gothic style in 1290. Visible traces of the original layout remain, including the primitive portal, which is still recognisable today despite being walled up in the 16th century and replaced by a new one in stone. In 1746, a fire—likely caused by a candle left burning—devastated the building. Rebuilt and reopened the following year, it took on the Baroque appearance we can see today.
The interior and the bell tower
The internal structure features six chapels (three on each side) punctuated by double pilasters, a vaulted ceiling, and a triumphal arch that defines the presbytery, which is accessed by climbing three stone steps. The bell tower, surmounted by a bulbous dome, is the work of Guglielmo Meluzzi, the architect who designed the main public buildings of Acquapendente following the Unification of Italy. It is one of the few bulbous domes in the Tuscia region, resembling more a Central European style than Roman architecture.
The cloister that became a school
The annexed Augustinian convent featured a 16th-century cloister. When the Italian State confiscated ecclesiastical property, it first became the seat of a military command and then, in the early 20th century, a primary school. The structure of the cloister is still the original one.
