Castiglione Thermal Basin

What is the Castiglione basin?

The Castiglione hydrothermal basin is the easternmost of the four basins of Casamicciola Terme. It lies along the coastal strip towards the boundary with the municipality of Ischia, in an area of more than 4,000 square metres between the Castiglione and Bagnitiello hills and the shore. It is an unusual basin because its hot springs emerge right into the sea, creating spots where the thermal water mingles with the water of the bay.

The springs

The system includes the Castiglione spring and the nearby Bagnitiello spring, together with other coastal springs. In this area fumaroles and springs are described as parts of a single geothermal system, an expression of the island's volcanic nature.

The character of the waters

Popular sources describe clear, limpid waters with a fairly salty taste, reaching around 70 °C at the spring. They contain alkaline sulphates and bicarbonates, sodium and magnesium bicarbonate and a high level of sodium chloride. Traditionally they 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 Castiglione waters have been known for centuries: Giulio Iasolino, in his 1588 treatise, ranks them among the island's most praised baths, and in the 17th century Castiglione was, together with the Gurgitello and La Rita, one of the basins that drew the first spa guests to Casamicciola. The Castiglione hill also has a more ancient past: archaeological excavations were carried out here in 1939, and local tradition places a Greek-era settlement on the site.

In the 20th century the basin's story became bound up with that of Baroness Maria Ursula von Stohrer, who in 1936, with her husband, chose the Castiglione estate precisely because of its thermal water and, after 1953, devoted herself to reviving the old baths fed by the spring. This project gave rise to the Castiglione Thermal Park, which has welcomed guests since 1977.

A little further west, in the Bagnitiello bay, is the 'O Vagnitiello Thermal Park. This spring is linked to a legend told in the poem Inarime by Camillo Eucherio Quinzi, published in 1726.

Where it is and how to get there

The basin lies in the Castiglione coastal strip area, along the road linking Casamicciola with the port of Ischia. You can reach it by car or by the public buses that run along the coast road, then walk down to the sea. The springs are inside or close to private facilities: access to the waters is through the thermal parks, whose seasons and opening hours are worth checking.

What to see nearby

• The Castiglione Thermal Park and the 'O Vagnitiello Thermal Park.
• Bagnitielli Beach, a small rocky cove below the hill.
• The Bosco della Maddalena (Maddalena Wood) and the Maddalena Trail, which climb towards Monte Rotaro.