Immersed in the Monferrato countryside, between Alessandria and Acqui Terme, stands the Romanesque abbey of Santa Giustina di Sezzadio.
Founded by the Benedictines in 1030, thanks to the generosity of the Aleramic Marquis Otberto, the basilica still has a mosaic floor from the 9th-10th centuries and 14th-15th century frescoes in the central apse, on the vault of the presbytery and in the left side apse; sixteenth-century decorations are visible on the columns that divide the three naves.
Adjacent to the Abbey, the complex called Villa Badia, developed on the foundations of the pre-existing Benedictine convent, subsequently rebuilt by the Order of the Oblates of S. Ambrogio of Milan in 1600, and enlarged by the Frascara Counts towards the end of the 1800s, who made it their private residence.
More to read: The Exquisite Dining Experience at Villa Badia