Information About BAGNI DI LUCCA THERMAL BATHS / LE TERME DI BAGNI DI LUCCA
Bagni di Lucca Thermal Baths
Le Terme di Bagni di Lucca.
The Past....
The town of Bagni di Lucca (formerly Bagni di Corsena) was established around the hot springs which came out of the mountains. The spas in Bagni di Lucca were already important during Roman and Etruscan times. By the 12th century the spa was so famous that Countess Matilda of Tuscany made it more accessible by improving the surrounding roads and constructing the Devil's Bridge at nearby Borgo a Mozzano. During the 15th century the reputation of the spas was important enough to raise Bagni di Lucca to the same level as the spas at Karlsbad, Spa, Baden and Vichy.
In the 19th century Bagni di Lucca and its thermal baths reached its maximum splendour, especially in the time of the French occupation. It became the summer residence of the Napoleon's court and of his sister, Elisa Baciocchi. At this time the Casino was built and it offered gambling rooms to society life and also a large hall where dancing nights took place. Puccini used to play the piano there. The game of Roulette was invented there in 1837, for the men to play while the women took their baths in the thermal springs.Royalty and nobility from all over Europe have stayed there (“in Bagni di Lucca one is knee deep in royal highnesses” according to a 19th century reporter) as did many famous writers and musicians, including Michel de Montaigne, Byron, Shelley, the Brownings, Puccini, Liszt, Strauss and Paganini, to name but a few.
In 1814 Bagni di Lucca was assigned to the Tuscan Grand Dukedom, under the domain of Grand Duke Leopoldo II of Lorena. During his domination there the thermal activity and the Casino declined, because the Grand Duke wanted to lead a secluded life. In 1853 the Casino was closed and sadly the thermal bath activity declined.
The Present...
Today the main thermal bath establishment in operation is the Terme Jean Varraud, located in Bagni Caldi, just above the Ponte a Serraglio part of Bagni di Lucca.
Here many health and beauty treatments are available, and you can enjoy a single treatment, a whole day of treatments of even a couple of days to completely refresh and rejuvenate you. There is a 'grotto - an atmospheric cave where you can enjoy the hot spring water - a natural steam room!
Terme Jean Varraud website:
www.termebagnidilucca.it
You can also visit the Villaggio Globale, located at the old Villa Demidoff, which is more of a holistic retreat where you can learn meditation, massage, tantra, and have courses in art therapy, acting therapy, love therapy, overcoming fears, relationship counselling and many other treatments related to the body and mind.
Global Village website
www.globalvillage-it.com
The Future....
Plans are in place to restore the other historical thermal bath establishments such as Villa Ada and the thermal baths of Bagno alla Villa. Due to today’s lifestyles and stresses, and new alternative cures, there is a need more than ever for these sorts of treatments, and Bagni di Lucca needs a modern thermal baths establishment, providing traditional therapeutic treatments in a modern setting, combining the recent demands for ‘wellness’, relating to psycho-physical wellbeing as well as the beauty and aesthetic treatments demanded today.
In 2000 a preliminary feasibility study was carried out named ‘The regeneration of the thermal baths in Bagni di Lucca in the context of the Third Millenium’. Bagni di Lucca was subsequently given a grant of 4,500,000 euros to redevelop the thermal baths and make other improvements such as an additional footbridge over the river Lima near the Ponte a Serraglio, an increase in high level tourist facilities available including the creation of a thermal baths museum, and the restoration and management of other buildings to support the services connected to the tourist development of the area.
The restoration contract was given to Zanin Costruzioni srl of Treviso. and work has begun.
INFORMATION
- GETTING THERE
- CAR HIRE
- MAP OF TUSCANY
- MAPS
- DRIVING DOWN?
- BOOKSHOP
- RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS
- CHECK OUT THE WEATHER
- EVENTS AND FESTIVITIES IN TUSCANY
- TRAIN TIMES
- COOKERY SCHOOL IN LUXURIOUS SURROUNDINGS
- SKIING IN TUSCANY
- GOLF
- LONG TERM RENTALS
- TRANSLATION
- NOTICE BOARD -
- GETTING MARRIED IN TUSCANY
- GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ITALY
- BAGNI DI LUCCA THINGS TO DO
- ADVERTISING ON WWW.CASATUSCANY.COM
- Village Amenities
- TUSCAN WINE GUIDE
- TOURIST INFO / WHAT'S ON
- HEALTH INFORMATION