History of spa culture

Garibaldi and the Thermal Cure

At a glance

On 19 June 1864 Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived in Casamicciola to treat the foot wound he had received at Aspromonte with thermal waters. He first stayed at Villa Manzi in Piazza Bagni, then at the Villa Zavota hotel in the upper town. He bathed in the Occhio and Gurgitello waters and left after about a month.

The Hero of Two Worlds takes the waters

In the summer of 1864 Casamicciola welcomed its most popular guest. Giuseppe Garibaldi was still suffering from the foot wound he had received in August 1862 at Aspromonte, when royal troops halted his march on Rome. On medical advice he decided to try the thermal cures of Ischia, already famous throughout Europe.

Arrival on 19 June 1864

Garibaldi arrived on the island from Caprera on 19 June 1864, aboard the Duke of Sutherland's yacht Undine. He was accompanied by his doctors Albanese and Basile, his sons Menotti and Ricciotti and a few friends. His first lodging was Villa Manzi, the Manzi family's small villa in Piazza Bagni, next to their spa establishment of the same name.

The stay in Piazza Bagni was short. After a few days the General moved to Saverio Zavota's Bellevue hotel, a patrician villa with panoramic views in the upper part of Casamicciola, now known as Villa Parodi. Local chronicles put the move down to a disagreement between Garibaldi's family and Luigi Manzi; the sources do not agree on the exact day of the move. A plaque on the façade of Villa Zavota still commemorates his stay.

The cure: the Occhio and the Gurgitello

On the very evening of his arrival Dr Antonio Mennella, the spa physician, was called in and recommended the Gurgitello waters as showers and baths, along with the San Lorenzo sweat rooms at Lacco Ameno. Garibaldi's own doctors agreed only in part: the treatment would begin with water from the Occhio spring, moving on later to the Gurgitello. The first bath, on 20 June 1864, lasted twenty minutes, in Occhio water at 26 degrees, with a rain shower on the wound and the right ankle.

A month in Casamicciola

Garibaldi stayed on the island for about a month. The press of the day, including the British press, followed his stay and the many visitors he received. He left in mid-July 1864: the sources give 18 or 19 July. He was seen off by the Forio town band, conducted by Major Giovanni Pezzillo.

Why it matters

Garibaldi's stay is one of the best-remembered episodes of Casamicciola's golden age, when the town's spas were frequented by figures of European renown. It also shows how a 19th-century thermal cure worked: the choice of spring, the temperature and the length of the baths were set precisely by the doctors, and each spring had its own indications.

Where it is

The places associated with his stay are easy to visit. In Piazza Bagni you will find the Gurgitello spring and the Antiche Terme Manzi, heirs to the Manzi family's establishment. Villa Zavota stands in the upper part of the town, towards La Sentinella. The background is told in Casamicciola, a European Spa Resort and in the history of the Gurgitello.

Frequently asked questions

When did Garibaldi come to Casamicciola?
Garibaldi arrived on 19 June 1864 and stayed for about a month, leaving in mid-July. He came to treat the wound he had received at Aspromonte in 1862.
Where did Garibaldi stay in Casamicciola?
First at Villa Manzi, the Manzi family's small villa in Piazza Bagni, then at the Bellevue hotel at Villa Zavota, in the upper part of the town. A plaque on the façade of Villa Zavota commemorates his stay.
Which waters did Garibaldi use for his cure?
His doctors had him begin with water from the Occhio spring, moving on later to the Gurgitello. The first bath, on 20 June 1864, lasted twenty minutes.

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Sources and further reading

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