What the World Needs Now Is a Trip to This Italian Spa — Andrea Bocelli’s Favorite

It may come as a shock to some, but I am a spa skeptic. Worse, I can prove this. That said, when one adds “Italy” to the spa equation, things tend to take on new dimensions. Cue visions of the green hills of Tuscany, where the Brunello di Montalcino flows and so do thermal waters that help do good things like ease holiday hangovers and lift sagging spirits.One of Italy’s most iconic spas is the Terme di Saturnia. Last month it emerged from a renovation with more design dazzle, but the star of this show remains unchanged: the thermal spring water percolating underneath the resort. It has over the centuries and more recently lured spa cognoscenti like Andrea Bocelli and an array of Italian bold-faced names.Unlike the water from, say, your shower, thermal spa water is particularly relaxing and soaking in it can not only help dissolve worldly cares but re-energize you too. As they pass through the volcanic subsoil, Saturnia’s warm sulfurous waters, bubbling up at a constant 98.6 degrees, are naturally enriched with plant substances and minerals. The sulfuric-carbonic composition of the water is said to help stimulate the involuntary nervous system as well as the immune system. The waters also bring healthy, potentially anti-aging benefits to the skin, respiratory system, and muscular movement. Saturnia’s setting itself makes for some invigorating balm. Leaving Rome and the autostrada behind (it’s about a two-hour drive up from the Eternal City), the earthy feel of deep Tuscany is restorative. In a grove of plane-top pine trees and cypress, the thermal springs here and in the vicinity have attracted health nuts since the days of the Etruscans. The rolling hills of the Maremma region in southern Tuscany give little hint of the volcanic activity or, for that matter, of a modern resort hotel.I first stumbled upon Saturnia years ago, and remember well the ravishing vista of its almost lake-sized central geothermal pool, the steam rising and partly obscuring a backdrop that alternates between lush wooded greens — the hotel literature amusingly refers to those lovely hills as “suggestive” — and the understated lines of the hotel structure itself. Among vast lawns more water cascades into stone-walled mineral baths and pools. The Terme di Saturnia resort hotel is tucked away in the the rolling hills of the Maremma region in southern Tuscany. Courtesy of the Terme di SaturniaAccording to Pam Price, co-author of three editions of 100 Best Spas of the World, “the thermal waters have made Saturnia a serious destination spa, where the longer you stay the better. You can experience results, but don’t expect to feel ten years younger overnight.”Hotel guests are received in an ancient stone building that has been completely refurbished. According to a press release, the new relaxation area, “overlooking the [thermal water] source and adjacent to the Roman Bath with sauna and Turkish bath, is designed to offer an experience of well-being, comfort and tranquility, where you can regenerate between one bath and another.”As you enter the healing sulfurous waters from the canopied doors of the changing areas, you might notice some blobs of black plankton — but no cause for alarm. Its therapeutic use for skin ailments is well-known and Saturnia uses it in a variety of spa treatments. Rising from the volcanic springs deep underneath the pool, this bio-algae is blended with mineral-rich mud for facials and body wraps. Note to reader: if you are over the age of 40 and, regardless of gender, a mineral-rich mud facial at an Italian spa is something you will likely not regret having. Despite whatever newfangled skin care remedy Kim Kardashian or others trot out, nothing works on those wrinkles, at least temporarily, like a serving of bona fide fango Italian mud.The resort can be a busy place on a warm day, in part because it is also open to day trippers. Although Ms. Price avers that “the secret of a traditional European spa is to think of it as a deep-dive into the realm of real relaxation, and not simply a quick fix,” not all travelers will have time for, say, a week’s stay. A dose of rejuvenation, though, is still better than none. There are a number of day spa packages available that offer a range of hydrotherapy treatments and spa beauty treatments as well as unrestricted access to the thermal pool. There has also been a restyling of the “1919” restaurant for fine dining and La Stellata Trattoria, the spa’s traditional Maremma-style country restaurant. According to the same press release, the restaurant’s original farmhouse has been expanded with a veranda and a pergola overlooking the countryside and the resort’s 18-hole golf course, with “the large opening windows allowing for a perfect fusion between inside and outside, creating an enchanting atmosphere.”Enchanting too is the inimitable Italian marriage of the healthy benefits of thermal water with some classic dolce far niente. Think Italian cuisine, luxurious accommodations, and relaxation that is actually good for you: that is a winning combination by any measure. To address those end-of-summer blues Saturnia’s Tuscan spa indulgence really does beckon so, andiamo.

What the World Needs Now Is a Trip to This Italian Spa — Andrea Bocelli’s Favorite

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