# Occhio Spring **At a glance:** The Occhio spring, also known as the “cool bath”, is a source in the Cotto and Sinigallia hydrothermal basin, in Piazza Bagni, Casamicciola Terme. Its name (“eye”) recalls the old custom of bathing the eyes here. In the 19th century a private establishment, the Occhio bath, stood around the spring. ## Useful information - **Type:** Thermal spring - **Area:** [Piazza Bagni and the Spa Quarter](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/areas/piazza-bagni-spa-quarter/) - **Address:** Piazza Bagni, 80074 Casamicciola Terme NA - **Coordinates:** 40.743600, 13.907500 - **Where:** Piazza Bagni area, a short way west of the Cappone water - **Basin:** Cotto and Sinigallia basin - **Other names:** Bagno fresco (cool bath); in the past, acqua del Loto or delle Cajonche - **Historical source:** Venanzio Marone, memoir of 1847 - **Historical links:** Occhio bath establishment, Antiche Terme Manzi ## The “cool bath” of Piazza Bagni The Occhio spring is one of the sources of the [Cotto and Sinigallia hydrothermal basin](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/cotto-and-sinigallia-thermal-basin/), in the [Piazza Bagni](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/key-places/piazza-bagni/) area of Casamicciola Terme. 19th-century writers placed it a short distance to the west of the Cappone water, in the same area where the private establishments of the Occhio bath and the Gurgitello once stood. The sources also call it the “bagno fresco” (cool bath) and, in earlier times, the “acqua del Loto” or “delle Cajonche”. ## Where the name comes from According to the physician Venanzio Marone, who wrote about it in 1847, the name “Occhio” (eye) came from the inhabitants' old habit of bathing their eyes here; Marone also believed that the older name, “Cotto” (cooked), referred to the use of the water to cleanse burns. He preferred this practical explanation to the more learned one of those who saw in it a symbol linked to Aesculapius. Other descriptions, however, treat the Cotto and the Occhio as two separate springs of the same basin: on this point the historical sources do not agree. ## The waters The Occhio water was already used by local people in ancient times. Popular sources describe the basin it belongs to as alkaline, with a predominance of sodium bicarbonate, and with temperatures of roughly 50 to 60 °C; the name “cool bath” suggests that this spring was felt to be less hot than its neighbours, but no specific measurements are available. Next to the Occhio there also flowed the “iron” water, now remembered among the [Oro, Argento and Ferro springs](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/oro-argento-and-ferro-springs/). **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. ## The Occhio and the spas of Piazza Bagni In the 19th century the Occhio area was one of the centres of private spa activity in Casamicciola, alongside the Gurgitello establishment. The Occhio area also has a historical connection with the [Antiche Terme Manzi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/manzi-historic-thermal-spa/), a leading name in the era when Casamicciola was a spa resort visited by guests from all over Europe. ## Where it is and how to get there The spring is in the Piazza Bagni area, in the upper part of the centre of Casamicciola. You can reach it on foot from the harbour and Piazza Marina by walking inland, or by the island's public transport. It is neither a visitor attraction in its own right nor a bathing spot: to experience the thermal waters of the area, go to the licensed establishments. ## What to see nearby - The [Antiche Terme Manzi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/manzi-historic-thermal-spa/) and the [Antiche Terme Belliazzi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/belliazzi-historic-thermal-spa/). - The [Tamburo spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/tamburo-spring/) and the [Spelonca spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/spelonca-spring/), in the same basin. - The [Gurgitello basin](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-thermal-basin/), on the eastern side of the square. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why is it called the Occhio spring? According to the physician Venanzio Marone (1847), the name, meaning “eye”, comes from the old custom of bathing the eyes here. The older name, “Cotto”, is said to recall the use of the water on burns. ### Where is the Occhio spring? In Piazza Bagni, Casamicciola Terme, in the Cotto and Sinigallia hydrothermal basin, a short way west of the Cappone water. It can be reached on foot from the harbour and Piazza Marina. ### Can you bathe at the Occhio spring? No, it is neither a bathing spot nor a visitor attraction in its own right. The thermal waters of the area are used at the licensed establishments in Piazza Bagni. ## Also worth seeing - [Cotto and Sinigallia Thermal Basin](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/cotto-and-sinigallia-thermal-basin/) - [Tamburo Spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/tamburo-spring/) - [Spelonca Spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/spelonca-spring/) - [Antiche Terme Manzi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/manzi-historic-thermal-spa/) - [Oro, Argento and Ferro Springs](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/oro-argento-and-ferro-springs/) ## Sources and further reading - [Hotel La Maggioressa – Ischia: bacini e sorgenti termali di Casamicciola](https://www.hotellamaggioressa.com/it/ischia/) - [IschiaSky – Il termalismo isolano nell'Ottocento (dalla memoria di Venanzio Marone, 1847)](https://ischiasky.it/dettaglio-news-blog.jsp?idnews=5868) - [IschiaPrenotazioni – I principali bacini termali di Ischia](https://www.ischiaprenotazioni.it/blog/ischia/I-PRINCIPALI-BACINI-TERMALI-DI-ISCHIA)