Text: Irina Malkova CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF THE ARISTOCRACY OF THE XIX CENTURY TO RELAX ON WATERS TODAY AGAIN IN FASHION THERMAL RESORTS. LET IT BECAUSE SIMPLY REST YOU CAN RESTORE HEALTH, CARE A COURSE OF ANTI-REJUVENATING THERAPY AND BRING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IN ORDER. WE OFFER A GUIDE TO THE BEST THERMAL RESORTS OF THE ITALIAN PROVINCE OF TUSCANY.
From hell to paradise
Yes, yes, it is such a route that every afflicted person must take to improve their health in the natural grotto of the thermal hotel Grotta Giusti, in northern Tuscany. Giuseppe Verdi, during his frequent visits here, called him the only “eighth wonder of the world” for his amazing healing effect on the body while inside. And all because of the special healing air that has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, joints and skin. The temperature inside ranges from 20 to 40 degrees Celsius, so the whole cave is conditionally divided into "hell", "purgatory" and "paradise". Accordingly, the "paradise" here is the coolest place. In "hell" is allowed to sit no more than 30 minutes, and at first it may seem that it is impossible to hold out even five. But then the body gets used to it, relaxes and you can relax, lying on comfortable sun loungers, relax under the soothing sound of water dripping from stalactites. After visiting the grotto, it is recommended to take a tonic Sharko shower, and then swim in the outdoor pool with warm thermal water, a hydromassage and an artificial waterfall.
The hotel itself stands in a quiet secluded spot on the plain, surrounded by a centuries-old park and a series of colorful Tuscan hills, so the view from the pool has an additional therapeutic effect. Built in the XIX century as the summer residence of the Italian poet Giuseppe Giusti, today the hotel is ready to offer its guests some of the best SPA treatments, including anti-aging programs and detox treatments.
Classics of the genre
The thermal hotel Bagni di Pisa, located near Pisa, is today one of the most romantic resorts in Tuscany. The whole atmosphere of this 17th-century building, in which Percy Shelley once wrote poems, poems and argued with his friend Byron, and Mary Shelley created her immortal Frankenstein, is imbued with the unique charm and charm of that era. Painted frescoes in the lobby, vaulted ceilings, marble floors, sofas covered in red velvet and silk, a colonnade with statues - all this is just a prelude to the sophistication of these rooms. Two-story, with a huge bedroom upstairs and a spacious living room downstairs, they create the feeling of your own home. A special charm lies in the spherical ceiling - it is all painted with frescoes resembling fragments of paintings by Old Masters. When you wake up in the morning and look at the painted clouds, cherubs and doves with an olive branch in its beak, it may seem that time has turned back. No wonder it is this hotel that always chooses Naomi Campbell, a very sophisticated model in luxury issues, for her visit to Italy. But in addition to the external charm, the hotel is justly proud of its large SPA center, which features a natural thermal cave. It was opened completely by accident: when reconstruction took place 15 years ago, an opening in the wall was discovered in the basement, from where the warm air came. As a result, it turned out that all this time, behind a stone slab in the rock (and the hotel is on a hill), a thermal cave with hot springs from the ground was hiding.
Secrets of the Ligurian coast
Forte dei Marmi is famous not only for the villas of the Russian oligarchs and the white yachts of Feretti. About 20 years ago, underground deposits of natural peat were found underground at a depth of 50 meters, which began to be used for recreational purposes in the SPA resort Terme della Versilia. Moreover, it was discovered by accident. The owners of the hotel first bought a plot near the sea, began to build a hotel complex and, during construction, stumbled upon huge deposits of this unique "mud", which, when mixed with underground thermal water, was saturated with all useful minerals. It took more than three years to test medical indicators at the State University of Rome, and only after receiving a persistent positive effect on the skin and issuing a medical license it began to be used as a powerful tool for rejuvenating and treating various diseases. The range of its application is very wide - from cosmetic, by applying various masks and wraps, to medical, when the mixture is applied to problem areas, sore joints or the spine.
Saturn's Magic Rings
The one-of-a-kind resort Terme di Saturnia is built around the natural crater of a volcano emitting hot hydrogen sulfide water (37 degrees Celsius), which has been converted into a swimming pool. This is a real natural lake with a rocky bottom, algae and mud that is rarely found in the water, which is living plankton. By the way, this particular plankton is the basis of the world famous thermal cosmetics Terme di Saturnia. The smell of hydrogen sulfide floating around is, of course, not too pleasant, but after ten minutes you get used to it and stop noticing. The water in the pool is too hot and heavy to be in it for a long time, so doctors recommend "hanging" in it for no more than 20 minutes (special ropes are stretched across the water to hold on to). From time to time, as if in a jacuzzi, hydrogen sulphide bubbles start coming out of the mouth of a volcano. Water itself is very useful for various skin diseases such as neurodermatitis, psoriasis, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and respiratory tract. Water, by the way, is useful and easy to drink. One glass a day - and you will never have cirrhosis: thanks to useful microelements it perfectly cleanses the liver and kidneys. The resort is very popular among Italians themselves. So, for example, the writer Umberto Eco, as well as the idol of the 80s singer Tutti, come here to rest with his wife twice a year here with his wife. On the territory adjacent to the hotel there is a large golf course, and not far away are three small towns for hiking and candlelight dinners in small restaurants, which nonetheless often turn out to be Michelin stars.
Luxury for all time
The Fonteverde Natural Thermal Resort does not need a special introduction - it has long earned a reputation as one of the best SPA hotels in the world. It is located high on a slope, so when you sit on the terrace or relax in the cascading pool, you will see a view of the Tuscan plain, consisting, like Van Gogh’s canvases, of yellow, green and red stripes interspersed with bright green rows of vineyards. This is the real Tuscany, and, perhaps, for the sake of these species, they come here. The hotel itself - the former castle of Maria Medici of the XVI century - keeps all respectability and luxury in its almost original form. The hotel has built a large SPA complex - there are several steam rooms: Etruscan, lined with antique mosaics, a Turkish hammam and a sauna. There is a separate room with a swimming pool equipped with chromo, aroma and music therapy. Lying on your back in this completely mystical room, as if spreading over the surface of a water surface: someone is falling asleep, someone is starting to cry from his overwhelming happiness. The hotel restaurant resembles a medieval castle with two-meter canvases in massive frames depicting members of the Medici family. Here you can also get acquainted with the masterpieces of Tuscan cuisine: try the chicken jianina steak with blood. By the way, do not be alarmed by the names of the local specialty desserts. "Chocolate cake with chili peppers" is one of the restaurant’s chief dishes.
