Antiche Terme Belliazzi

Where it is

The Antiche Terme Belliazzi (the “old Belliazzi baths”) overlook Piazza Bagni, the spa heart of Casamicciola Terme, in the upper part of the town, at Piazza Bagni del Gurgitello 122. The establishment stands directly over the Gurgitello spring, within the Gurgitello hydrothermal basin, at the foot of the Ombrasco hill: for this reason it is regarded as the emblem of the town's long spa tradition.

The Gurgitello spring

The Gurgitello is Casamicciola's most famous spring. Ancient writers already mentioned it, and in the 16th century the physician Giulio Iasolino, in his 1588 treatise on the island's waters, devoted some twenty-four pages to it, judging its waters the most effective of all those he had studied. The waters of the basin are described as clear, odourless and oily to the touch, rich in alkaline bicarbonates, sulphates and sodium chloride. The establishment uses the thermal water and mud to treat musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory and skin complaints.

History

From the 17th century the Gurgitello waters were also used to treat, free of charge, the sick poor taken in by the hospice of the Pio Monte della Misericordia. In 1852 King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies visited the spring and decided to give it a modern establishment, inspired by Roman baths and open to nobles, visitors and islanders alike. The building was completed in 1854 and has since been one of the most representative places of 19th-century spa town Casamicciola.

The same spring is also linked to the stay of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who came to Casamicciola in the summer of 1864 to treat the wound he had received at Aspromonte: the spa physician Antonio Mennella recommended the Gurgitello waters to him. The same quarter was home to other historic establishments, such as the Antiche Terme Manzi, and to the old thermal hospice of the Pio Monte della Misericordia, which from the 17th century offered treatment to the poorest.

Treatments today

The establishment offers thermal mud and baths, balneotherapy, inhalation and aerosol treatments, irrigations, nasal douches and an indoor pool, as well as massages and beauty treatments. According to the Terme d'Ischia portal it is accredited with the Italian National Health Service: with a prescription from a GP, some treatments, such as mud therapy, baths and inhalations, can be had for just the standard prescription charge. It opens seasonally; up-to-date opening times and prices are given on the official website.

How to get there

Piazza Bagni can be reached from the Marina di Casamicciola by heading inland along the road that leads to the upper part of the town. The square is also the starting point for walks towards upper Casamicciola and Piazza Maio.

What to see nearby

• Piazza Bagni, with its springs and the buildings of the 19th-century spa era.
• The Antiche Terme Manzi, linked to Garibaldi's stay.
• The Gurgitello basin and the Ombrasco springs.