# Stomaco or Cappone Spring **At a glance:** The Stomaco spring, also known as the Cappone spring, is one of the sources that flow into the Gurgitello basin in Piazza Bagni, Casamicciola Terme. It used to rise in a small well west of the Gurgitello and is remembered by historical writers for its curious name and for the internal uses 19th-century physicians made of it. ## 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:** 40.743900, 13.908900 - **Where:** Piazza Bagni area, just west of the Gurgitello spring - **Area:** Between Piazza Bagni and upper Casamicciola - **Basin:** Gurgitello basin - **Other names:** Cappone spring - **Historical source:** Venanzio Marone, memoir of 1847 ## 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](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-thermal-basin/), the most important in Casamicciola Terme. 19th-century descriptions place it in a small well just west of the [Gurgitello spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-spring/), in the Piazza Bagni area, where the spa centre meets the first slopes climbing towards [upper Casamicciola](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/areas/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](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/key-places/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](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-spring/) and the [Antiche Terme Belliazzi](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/belliazzi-historic-thermal-spa/). - The [Oro, Argento and Ferro springs](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/oro-argento-and-ferro-springs/) and the [Ombrasco spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/ombrasco-spring/), in the same basin. - The [Cotto and Sinigallia basin](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/cotto-and-sinigallia-thermal-basin/), on the western side of the square. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why is it called the Cappone (capon) spring? Sources give two explanations: according to one, going back to Iasolino, the water tasted almost like capon broth; according to the physician Venanzio Marone, local people used it to pluck chickens and capons. Both explanations have been handed down by historical writers. ### Where is the Stomaco or Cappone spring? In the Piazza Bagni area of Casamicciola Terme, just west of the Gurgitello spring. It is part of the Gurgitello hydrothermal basin. ### Can you visit the Cappone spring? It is not signposted as a sight in its own right, nor accessible for bathing. You can discover its setting by strolling through Piazza Bagni and visiting the area's historic establishments. ## Also worth seeing - [Gurgitello Thermal Basin](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-thermal-basin/) - [Gurgitello Spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/gurgitello-spring/) - [Oro, Argento and Ferro Springs](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/oro-argento-and-ferro-springs/) - [Ombrasco Spring](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/thermal-spas/ombrasco-spring/) - [Upper Casamicciola](https://visitcasamicciola.com/en/areas/upper-casamicciola/) ## Sources and further reading - [Hotel La Maggioressa – Ischia: bacini e sorgenti termali di Casamicciola](https://www.hotellamaggioressa.com/it/ischia/) - [IschiaPrenotazioni – I principali bacini termali di Ischia](https://www.ischiaprenotazioni.it/blog/ischia/I-PRINCIPALI-BACINI-TERMALI-DI-ISCHIA) - [IschiaSky – Il termalismo isolano nell'Ottocento (dalla memoria di Venanzio Marone, 1847)](https://ischiasky.it/dettaglio-news-blog.jsp?idnews=5868)