Stomaco or Cappone Spring

A small spring with a curious name

The Stomaco or Cappone spring is one of the minor springs that flow into the Gurgitello hydrothermal basin, the most important in Casamicciola Terme. 19th-century descriptions place it in a small well just west of the Gurgitello spring, in the Piazza Bagni area, where the spa centre meets the first slopes climbing towards upper Casamicciola.

Where the name comes from

Sources hand down two explanations for the name “Cappone” (capon). According to an account attributed to Giulio Iasolino, the 16th-century physician noticed that the water tasted almost like capon broth. The physician Venanzio Marone, in his memoir of 1847, reported instead that the name came from the local custom of using this hot water to pluck chickens and capons. Both versions show how much the springs of Piazza Bagni were part of the town's daily life as well as its medicine.

The name “Stomaco” (stomach), under which the spring appears in several lists of the basin's sources, recalls the internal use of the water documented by historical writers.

Historical uses

In the 19th century the Cappone water was also taken by mouth. Marone considered it useful as a mild purgative and diuretic and suggested it could be taken before the mineral bath. Like the other Gurgitello waters, it belongs to a basin described by popular sources as saline-bicarbonate-alkaline, with temperatures of around 60–65 °C; no recent analyses are available for this individual spring.

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 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 walk to the square from the harbour and Piazza Marina by heading inland and uphill, or take the island's public buses. The spring is not signposted as a sight in its own right and is not accessible for bathing: the best way to understand its setting is to stroll through the Bagni quarter and visit the historic establishments that use the basin's waters.

What to see nearby

• The Gurgitello spring and the Antiche Terme Belliazzi.
• The Oro, Argento and Ferro springs and the Ombrasco spring, in the same basin.
• The Cotto and Sinigallia basin, on the western side of the square.