Oro, Argento and Ferro Springs

Three springs with precious names

Among the veins of water flowing into the Gurgitello hydrothermal basin, historical and popular descriptions mention three small springs with evocative names: Oro, Argento and Ferro (Gold, Silver and Iron). They lie in the area between Piazza Bagni and the Ombrasco hill, a short distance from the Gurgitello spring and the Stomaco or Cappone spring.

The sources consulted list them together, as parts of the same system, without giving separate analyses or data for each. The origin of the names “Oro” and “Argento” is not explained by the available sources either, so we prefer not to speculate.

The “iron” water

A little more is known about the Ferro water, which 19th-century writers called “acqua ferrata” (iron water). In the memoir of the physician Venanzio Marone (1847) we read that it rose next to the Occhio water and that one doctor prescribed it in the morning for patients who, during their treatment at the Gurgitello, suffered from a weak stomach. Another scholar of the time, however, had found no iron in saline form in it. Once considered tonic and restorative, the iron water later fell out of use.

The waters of the basin

Like the Gurgitello's other sources, these springs belong to a basin described by popular sources as saline-bicarbonate-alkaline, with temperatures of around 60–65 °C. No recent analyses are available for the individual 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.

Where they are and how to get there

The springs are in the Bagni quarter, in the upper part of the centre of Casamicciola Terme. You can walk to Piazza Bagni from the harbour and Piazza Marina by heading inland and uphill, or take the island's public buses. They are not signposted sights and are not accessible for bathing: you can discover their setting by strolling between the square and Via Ombrasco and visiting the establishments that use the basin's waters.

What to see nearby

• The Ombrasco spring and the Antiche Terme Fiola, on Via Ombrasco.
• The Gurgitello spring and the Antiche Terme Belliazzi.
• The Occhio spring, next to which the iron water used to rise.