Castiglione Spring

A spring between hill and sea

The Castiglione spring gives its name to the Castiglione hydrothermal basin, on the eastern coastal strip of Casamicciola Terme, towards the boundary with the municipality of Ischia. It rises at the foot of the Castiglione hill, on a stretch of coast where the hot waters flow right down to the sea. Today the spring feeds the Castiglione Thermal Park, on Via Castiglione.

The character of the water

Popular sources describe clear, limpid waters with a rather salty taste, reaching a temperature of around 70 °C at the spring. They contain alkaline sulphates and bicarbonates, sodium and magnesium bicarbonate and a high level of sodium chloride. In the thermal park the water is distributed among several pools at different temperatures, given as between 30 and 40 °C. In local tradition the Castiglione waters were used above all for digestive and urinary complaints and for recovery after fractures and dislocations.

A note on health. Information on the properties of the waters is of historical and general interest only and is not medical advice: thermal treatments should be taken only at licensed establishments and on a doctor's recommendation.

History

The spring has long been renowned: the baths fed by the Castiglione are recorded among those praised by Giulio Iasolino in his treatise of 1588, and by the 17th century Castiglione, together with the Gurgitello and La Rita, was one of the basins that drew the first guests to Casamicciola for treatment. The hill above the spring was also the site of archaeological excavations in 1939.

In 1936 Baroness Maria Ursula von Stohrer and her husband, the diplomat Eberhard von Stohrer, chose the Castiglione estate precisely because of its thermal water. After her husband's death in 1953, the baroness devoted herself to reviving the old baths fed by the spring: this project gave rise, in the mid-1970s, to the thermal park, which has welcomed guests since 1977.

How to get there

The spring lies on the Castiglione coastal strip, along the coast road that links Casamicciola to Ischia's harbour. It can be reached by car or by the island's public transport, then walking down towards the sea. Access to the waters is through the thermal park, which opens seasonally: check dates and opening times directly with the park.

What to see nearby

• The Bagnitiello spring and the 'O Vagnitiello Thermal Park.
• Bagnitielli Beach.
• The Bosco della Maddalena and the Maddalena Trail, which start from the Castiglione area.