L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano M ontecati- ni Terme i s , p e r - h a p s , t h e m o s t f a - mous among all spa towns in Italy. Its historical and natural importance, as well a s f a m e , a r e s u c h t h a t i t became part of the UNESCO World Heritage as one of Europe's great spa towns. Located in the Valdinievole, Montecatini Terme is not far from cities like Lucca, Flo- r e n c e , a n d P i s a , w h i c h means your stay there could easily double into an art- focused vacation without much of an effort. Charac- terized by its Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic architec- ture, Montecatini is in itself a beautiful place to explore. The health benefits of its waters were known already to the ancient Romans who, we all know, had a passion for spas and baths; mention of their presence is made by Alessandro Bicchierai in Dei Bagni di Montecati- ni ("about the Montecatini spa"), a text published in 1788, where he states that archaeological excavations in the area brought to light several Roman votive stat- uettes. First references to Montecatini's famous waters date, however, to 1201 and appear in a document relat- ed to the town of Lucca. People were to wait for another couple of centuries for scientific research on the characteristics of the town's t h e r m a l w a t e r s : s t u d i e s were carried out only during the Renaissance, more pre- cisely in the early 15th cen- tury, by Ugolino Simoni, a M o n t e c a t i n i d o c t o r w h o d e s c r i b e d t h e b e n e f i c i a l e f f e c t s o n h e a l t h o f t h e w a t e r s o f t h e B a g n o N u o v o , g i v i n g a d v i c e o n t h e i r t h e r a p e u t i c u s e . Simoni, who is considered the father of modern hydrol- ogy, writes in his De Balneo- rum Italiae Proprietatibus ac Virtutibus that Monteca- tini's waters can cure articu- lar pain, as well as scabies; he mentions the presence of three distinct baths, one of which covered by a small roof (the Tettuccio). Accord- ing to Simoni's research, it h a d b e e n b u i l t i n 1 3 7 0 , when Montecatini was ruled by the Florentine Republic. One hundred years after Simoni, in the 16th century, t h e b a t h s o f M o n t e c a t i n i were known enough to be already a tourist destination of sort. However, what we see -and enjoy – today is the b r a i n c h i l d o f t h e G r a n d Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine, ruler of Tuscany in the 18th century: thanks to its interest, a complex system of water canalization was created, the first step towards making Montecati- ni a modern spa town. The o l d e s t b a t h s i n t o w n a r e t h e T e r m e d e l T e t t u c c i o , k n o w n f o r t h e b e a u t y o f their halls and the precious- ness of their decorations. However, we should keep in m i n d t h a t t h e i r c u r r e n t sumptuousness is the result of the work of several artists in years much closer to us, the early 1900s. The Bagno R e g i o , h o w e v e r , w a s t h e first establishment created b y L e o p o l d o . T h e T e r m e Leopoldine bear the name of the Grand Duke and were built at the end of the 18th century: they are known for the warmth of their waters – the warmest in Montecatini. At the end of the 19th centu- ry, new buildings are creat- ed to encourage more visi- t o r s , a m o n g t h e m t h e S t a b i l i m e n t o E x c e l s i o r , w h i c h s t i l l e x i s t s t o d a y . The Stabilmento Redi is the last built in town and dates to 1962. The popularity of Monte- catini has ancient roots, but it's perhaps in the late 19th and early 20th century that its spa becomes truly iconic: i t w a s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a wave of famous artists and p e r s o n a l i t i e s , i n c l u d i n g Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and King Vittorio Emanuele II, who used to enjoy their relaxing atmos- p h e r e a n d t h e r a p e u t i c waters. It is then, during the wondrous Belle Époque, that Montecatini Terme acquires many of the architectural beauties we can still admire today, which transformed it into a true symbol of ele- gance and well-being. But what are the charac- teristics of its waters? They are very rich in minerals and can be very beneficial for intestinal issues and to keep the liver healthy. They are also a good choice for all those therapies where the patient needs to drink large quantities of water. Thanks to their long and interesting history and their architectural beauty, as we m e n t i o n e d , M o n t e c a t i n i Terme became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 2021, along with Bath, in the UK, Vichy in France, Bad E m s , B a d K i s s i n g e n a n d Baden-Baden in Germany, Baden in Austria, Spa in Bel- gium, and the Czech cities of Karlovy Vary, Františkovy Lázně and Mariánské Lázně. These cities were chosen in name of their role in devel- oping the culture of thermal baths across Europe, which f l o u r i s h e d e s p e c i a l l y between the 18th and the early 20th century. Montecatini Terme is also known in Italy for a more prosaic and popular reason: they were the see of the Miss Italia competition for a few y e a r s i n t h e m i d - 2 0 0 0 s . W i t h o r w i t h o u t b e a u t y q u e e n s , t h e t o w n i s w e l l worth a visit, especially if you are after a relaxing vaca- tion steeped in history. And while the spa is not in the town center, you can reach it o n f o o t . Y o u s h o u l d a l s o c h e c k o u t t h e t r a d i t i o n a l funicular trains, affection- ately known as Gigio and Gigia, that connect the val- ley to Montecatini Alto: a truly beautiful experience! GIULIA FRANCESCHINI Montecatini thermal baths are known for their architectural grandeur (Photo: Rdejongh/Dreamstime) Montecatini, the most popular and visited spa town in Italy ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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