Terme di Saturnia
42°39′29.21″N 11°30′58.35″E / 42.6581139°N 11.5162083°E
The Terme di Saturnia are a group of thermal springs located in the municipality of Manciano in Italy, a few kilometers from the village of Saturnia. The springs that feed the baths, which are found in the south-eastern valley, cover a vast territory that stretches from Mount Amiata and the hills of Fiora and Albegna rivers to the Maremma grossetana at Roselle (Terme di Roselle) and Talamone (Terme dell'Osa).
Toponym
[edit]One legend, according to the Etruscans and Romans, was that the Terme di Saturnia were formed by lightning bolts, thrown by Jupiter. During a violent quarrel between the two mythological deities, the bolts thrown towards Saturn had missed, causing the hot springs travertine formations.[1][2]
Location
[edit]Located in the town of Saturnia within the Grosseto Province, the hot springs are sited within this ancient town site, founded by Etruscans in the 4th-century BC.[2] Saturnia is allegedly the first community to be founded in Italy.[3] The springs are adjacent to hot springs at Cascade del Mulino, both are located in the Maremma area. There is an ancient necropolis built by the Etruscans nearby.[1] The area around the hot springs provide habitat for fox, wild boars, wolves and hedgehogs.[2]
Water profile
[edit]The sulphurous geothermal spring water is at a temperature of around 37.5 °C (99.5 °F).[1]
The main thermal waterfalls are the Mill Falls, located at an old mill as well as the Waterfalls of Gorello.[citation needed]
The yield of the source is about 800 liters per second, which guarantees an optimal replacement of water. The chemical make-up is sulfur, carbon, sulfate, bicarbonate-alkaline, earth, with the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas and carbon dioxide.[1] It is claimed, since ancient Roman times, that the hot mineral water has balneotheraputic properties.[2]
See also
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Aldo Mazzolai. Guida della Maremma. Percorsi tra arte e natura. Florence, Le Lettere, 1997.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Bro, Lindsey (2022). Thermal: Healing with Heat, Saunas, Hot Springs & Baths. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 140–143. ISBN 978-1-7972-1857-1.
- ^ a b c d Bressler, Finlay. "Saturnia Hot Springs: Inside Italy's Best Spa Town". Terra & Tu. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ Authentic Tuscany. Touring Club of Italy. 2005. p. 191. ISBN 88-365-3297-7. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
