Gurgitello Thermal Basin

What is the Gurgitello basin?

The Gurgitello hydrothermal basin is the historic heart of the spa tradition in Casamicciola Terme. It covers an area of around 12,000 square metres on the eastern side of Piazza Bagni (literally “Baths Square”), at the foot of the Ombrasco hill, some thirty metres above sea level. In this small patch of land several veins of hot water rise to the surface; for centuries they have supplied baths, natural sweat rooms and spa establishments, and they gave their name to the whole Bagni quarter.

The springs of the basin

Rather than a single source, the Gurgitello is a cluster of springs lying close together. The most famous is the Gurgitello spring, on which the Antiche Terme Belliazzi stand. Historical and popular accounts also mention the Stomaco or Cappone spring, the Oro, Argento and Ferro springs (Gold, Silver and Iron) and the Ombrasco spring; some sources also refer to a small spring known as Santa Maria del Popolo.

The character of the waters

According to the available descriptions, the waters of the basin emerge at temperatures of roughly 60 to 65 °C. They are clear, colourless and odourless, with a slightly salty, alkaline taste, and are classified as saline-bicarbonate-alkaline. Analyses reported for the main spring show alkaline bicarbonates and sulphates, sodium chloride and calcium phosphate. In local tradition the Gurgitello's waters and muds were used above all for joint and rheumatic pain 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 name recalls the Latin gurges, “whirlpool”: tradition holds that the Romans used it for the stream of boiling water that ran down to the sea. In 1588 the Calabrian physician Giulio Iasolino published his treatise De' rimedi naturali che sono nell'isola di Pithecusa, hoggi detta Ischia (On the natural remedies of the island of Pithecusa, now called Ischia), devoting ample space to the Gurgitello waters and judging them among the most effective he had observed.

In the early 17th century the spring's fame led the Neapolitan noblemen of the Pio Monte della Misericordia to choose this very area: in 1604 they opened the house that allowed the poor of Naples to follow courses of treatment free of charge, the origin of the Pio Monte della Misericordia complex. In 1852 King Ferdinand II of Bourbon visited the springs and commissioned a new establishment, completed in 1854 over the main spring. In 1864 Giuseppe Garibaldi also came here for treatment, two years after being wounded at Aspromonte.

Rebirth by the sea

After 1883 the Pio Monte hospice left Piazza Bagni and was reborn by the sea. The basin has continued to supply the establishments of Piazza Bagni, which remain the most vivid testimony to the town's long spa era.

Where it is and how to get there

The basin lies in the upper part of the centre of Casamicciola, around Piazza Bagni, less than a kilometre from the harbour and Piazza Marina. You can reach it on foot by walking up from the seafront or by the public buses that link the island's towns. The springs are not open for bathing: the best way to experience them is through the establishments that use their waters, whose opening times and access arrangements are worth checking in advance.

What to see nearby

• The Antiche Terme Belliazzi, the 19th-century establishment built over the spring.
• The Antiche Terme Manzi and Antiche Terme Fiola, further landmarks in the quarter's spa history.
• The Cotto and Sinigallia basin, on the western side of the same square.
• The Piazza Bagni – Via Tommaso Morgera walk, which climbs on foot towards upper Casamicciola.