San Casciano dei
Bagni Spas (Siena)
The town: San Casciano dei Bagni
San Casciano dei Bagni is a tiny village near Siena with
a little over 2,000 inhabitants, including those living
on farms in the outskirts. At an altitude of 582 meters,
it is situated between the Paglia and Chiana valleys and
surrounded by the Cetona, Amiata and Radicofani mountains.
Its territory borders the regions of Umbria and Lazio.
The town is 35 km from Montepulciano in the southern side
of Mount Cetona. Not so far from the village there are 42
radioactive thermomineral springs with curative power not
completely used for bathing and mud-bathing therapy. They
flow at a temperature ranging from 37 to 43 degrees in springs
in a natural state.
HISTORY
Spa waters have always attracted human settlements in this
area.
The first organized settlements took place with the Etrurians.
As reported by Domenico Maria Manni from Florence between
the 16th and the 18th century, legends tell that ?Lucumone?
Porsenna from Chiusi founded the first structures to use
hot springs that would be called ?Fonti Clusinii? by the
Romans.
During the following centuries Romans? expansion led to
Etrurians? eclipse and some cities like Chiusi started to
lose their power, this did not happen to San Casciano, appreciated
by the Romans for its spas.
Thanks to its strategic position on the way from Europe
and Northern Italy to Rome, San Casciano had a big development
and could be easily reached by people needing hot springs
or mud treatments.
The ?Via Cassia?, one of the most important
roads in the Roman civilisation, passed east by San Casciano,
therefore many important persons came here, especially during
the Roman Empire.
The Thermal Spa
The thermal waters at San Casciano gush out from
a multitude of springs constituting a basin of noteworthy
capacity. The chemical - physical characteristics classify
it as hyper-thermal, sulfuric, calcic and magnesic water:
at some of these springs natural, thermal mud is formed
that has extraordinary therapeutic properties. The muds
are obtained through a natural mixture of mineral water
and clay that is steeped and enriched with mineral components
in underground cavities that surround San Casciano dei Bagni.
The water
At the foot of Monte Cetona, amidst oak and chestnut forests,
there are forty-two springs rich in mineral salts, sulphate,
calcium, magnesium and fluoride. We are at San Casciano
Bagni, a resort recommended by many rheumatological doctors
and orthopaedics for its mud-therapy and fango-balneotherapy
cures for arthrosis and its complications, arthritis and
traumatology.
Treatments
The present owners of the thermal complex have
an innovative program for improving the thermal treatments,
which will take maximum advantage of the thermal water in
a natural and climatic environment.
Pelobalneotherapy
The role of baths in the treatment of rheumatic illness
is to supply assistance in the prevention and/or cure of
some articular affections, to reduce recurrence of symptoms
or complications and to rehabilitate the patient. San Casciano
dei Bagni will be part of this new approach in health spas,
with the continuous presence of specialists in various disciplines
and with its new facilities for the treatment and rehabilitation
of the pathologies that will most benefit from thermal treatments.
Mineral Water Cures
Mineral water treatments have always been carried out in
the principal health spas and have traditionally constituted
the most immediate and pleasant aspect of spa treatment
for the patient. Usually the illnesses treated by drinking
water are those regarding the stomach, the intestine, the
urinary tract, and diseases such as gout, obesity and diabetes
as well as some pediatric ailments.
Treatment of ear,
nose and throat diseases (aerosol, inhalations and nebulization)
Inhalatory thermal treatments through various techniques
allow for the treatment of various upper respiratory pathologies
such as rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, adenoids, tonsillitis,
laryngitis as well as pulmonary problems such as chronic
bronchitis, tracheo-bronchitis and forms of asthma with
mucous build up. In the near future the Spas at San Casciano
dei Bagni will also have pertubarich inhalations to face
the problem of rhinologic deafness.
Dermatology, esthetic and gynecological
treatments
Certain gynecological problems benefit greatly from thermal
therapy. Even some infertility problems are alleviated by
resolving chronic inflammation and aiding the endocrinological
system. The vegetable mineral muds mixed with the thermal
waters from the spring named "Il Portico" in San
Casciano dei Bagni are used in facial masks in specific
therapeutic treatments in cases of seborrhea, acne and beginning
phases of cutaneous senescence.
San Casciano?s hot springs
BAGNO DELLA FICONCELLA
It has always been the main spring in the thermal resort.
In 1583 Schiavetti wrote about it: ... These waters are
really wonderful and so famous that people beyond the mountains
come, and I dare say that if these waters would be run as
they are worth, one could say that neither in Italy, nor
probably in all Europe, would it be possible to find similar
waters. This spring, together with Santa Maria and San Giorgio
springs is part of the biggest structure in San Casciano
and was enriched by the Grand Duchy Ferdinando I that commissioned
the building of the porch that still decorates the structure.
BAGNO GRANDE
It is called like this because of its whirlpool, because
of its water springing with thousands of jets and its bubbles
coming to the surface. It is a spring of clear and limpid
water that is extremely hot, as one can easily feel by the
touch, which is the most important judge of qualities. (Ghezzi,
1617).
As the name indicates it is the most abundant of the 43
springs belonging to the thermal resort.
Until the half of the 19th century it was decorated by a
beautiful porch and had proper rooms where a large number
of therapies connected to the many properties of waters
could be practised.
Water fell into the basin from the mouths of two lion heads
carved on one of the walls.
BAGNO BOSSOLO
It was also called ?Bagno Bosso? or ?Buxo? in ancient times
and it is near the ?Bagno Grande?. It has the warmest water
in San Casciano; Ghezzi says about it ... it is a liquid
that can be called ?angelic? from any side you may consider
it. It is still decorated by its porch, but the Apollo statue
from which water used to fall has disappeared. The main
property of this water was the treatment of burns: if one
immerged the burned skin, the effectiveness of the spring
was so high that there was no scar left.
DOCCIA DELLA TESTA
It was one of the most famous and visited springs in San
Casciano. Complicated showers were practised on various
parts of the body inside these structures. Before having
showers patients had to shave their hair off to put some
special powders directly on their heads. Applications lasted
differently as they finished when patients felt some warmth
inside their heads. As the treatment went on water felt
stronger and stronger: the height from where water felt
was raised, because the effectiveness of the treatment was
proportional to the strength of the water beating on heads.
Other springs that were mainly used but
are less equipped from both architectural and functional
points of view are: Santa Maria, San Giorgio, Il Loto, La
Caldagna, I Fraticelli, Il Sasso and La Piscina.
Tourist informations Offices
Ufficio informazioni agenzia viaggiatori FS : Piazza
Italia 67 Chianciano Terme - Tel. 0578/671122/3
emails : apt@chianciano.turismo.toscana.it / info@chianciano.turismo.toscana.it
Direzione : A.P.T. Chianciano Terme - Valdichiana - Via
Sabatini 7 - Tel. 0578/67111 - email : apt@ftbcc.it
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