La Rita Spring

Where the spring rises

The La Rita spring rises in a small valley called the Cava La Rita, at the foot of Monte Epomeo, the island's highest peak, in the upper part of Casamicciola Terme. It is the main source of the La Rita hydrothermal basin. The water rises along faults and fractures in the ground, the same paths by which gases heated deep underground reach the surface; there are also fumaroles in the area that can approach 100 °C.

The character of the water

At the spring the water is classified as hyperthermal and reaches the establishment at a temperature of over 60 °C. It is a bicarbonate-sulphate-sodium water, not drinkable, which is enriched with mineral salts as it passes through the volcanic rock. Popular sources describe the waters of the basin as clear, salty-tasting and oily to the touch. The spring is best known for its muds, which in local tradition were used for joint and rheumatic complaints.

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

Early writers called the spring “dello Rete” or Fons retis; according to local sources the name comes from “creta”, clay, which became “reta” and then “rita” in everyday speech. In 1588 Giulio Iasolino described a clear, warm, sweet water drunk by the people of Casamicciola and Lacco. In 1847 the physician Venanzio Marone recommended it for stiff joints.

In 1867 the Danish writer Vilhelm Bergsøe, a friend of Henrik Ibsen, came to Casamicciola on a doctor's advice and recounted how he had treated an arm with La Rita mud. According to the scholar Paul Buchner, the Terme Rita were the first establishment on Ischia to offer mud treatments; in 1912 the waters and muds of the Antiche Terme La Rita won a gold medal at the international exhibition in Paris.

A medieval legend

A legendary tale is also linked to the spring: in 1196 Conrad of Querfurt, chancellor to Emperor Henry VI, described in a letter how he had entered a cleft in the mountain and reached an underground city, from which he was supposedly driven away by armed soldiers. Local tradition has associated this story with the La Rita valley.

Current state and how to get there

According to the island's spa portal, the spring and the establishment are currently not accessible and the water cannot be drawn. The valley lies in the upper Casamicciola area, which can be reached from the centre by climbing towards the Maio; check on the state of the site before any visit.

What to see nearby

• The Antiche Terme La Rita, fed by the spring.
• Monte Cito and its fumaroles, in the western hills.
• Piazza Maio, the starting point for the trails towards Epomeo.