LE TERME
Spa and Health Resorts in Piedmont
Foreword
The main spa and health resorts of Piedmont are very special places in touristic as well as medical terms, since they stand in areas of great environmental interest and beauty. Therefore, we have treated them as sources of physical and psychological well-being, where one can enjoy a "spa holiday" rather than merely undergoing therapies. For this reason, the resorts are not listed catalogue-like or in alphabetical order, but arranged as a not-so-virtual itinerary from the northernmost end of Piedmont to the South-Eastern Alps.
By following this route, visitors will have a unique chance to experience the whole range of natural scenery this region offers, beginning with Bognanco and Crodo, in northern Piedmont, not far from the Swiss border. Going south, one finds the hills of Monferrato and Agliano, whose wines are as renowned as its waters. In the plain surrounding Alessandria is Acqui, one of the oldest establishments in Piedmont, whose waters were first appreciated by the Romans who built there an aqueduct whose remains are still standing. Heading towards the province of Cuneo, hills and mountains reappear: after visiting Vicoforte, with its grand Santuario, one can head towards the southernmost end of Piedmont and reach Garessio, whose closeness to Liguria guarantees mild temperatures all year round, which is quite extraordinary in a mountain environment. Slightly north-west of Garessio stands Lurisia, whose therapeutic waters were discovered in the course of research done by and on behalf of Marie Curie and, moving westward, two of the highest spa resorts in Europe: Valdieri and Vinadio. The former, once the Savoys' favourite spa and hunting preserve, is renowned for its muffe (a kind of algae said to be even more effective than fango therapy); the latter, near the French border, is presently being renovated, but is still worth a visit if only for the sheer beauty of the area. To better convey the above, we have chosen to give images a key role, and to provide historical and tourist information as well as describing facilities and treatments. Concerning the latter, we have taken a non-specialist perspective, giving essential data on water types and therapies.
Crodo
Its waters were analysed for the first time in 1841, but the locals had long upheld their healing power, and in the late nineteenth century their fame turned Crodo into a renowned summer resort.
Located in Val d'Ossola, at the foot of Mount Cistella, Crodo has remarkable artistic and historical sites, like the Romanesque Parrocchiale Santo Stefano, which was partly rebuilt as a Baroque church but preserves a belfry completed in 1026.
There are several mineral springs at Crodo: Valle d'Oro, Cistella, Lisiel, and Cesa. The former two are inside the spa building while the others are in the surrounding park. The water is available to the public free of charge and is indicated in the treatment of digestive-tract illnesses like gastritis, and as a depurative of the liver and kidneys.
The waters from Valle d'Oro and Lisiel springs, being extremely light and easily digestible, are bottled and commercialised as table waters and are used to make soft drinks.
Bognanco
Legend has it that the spring was discovered by a local girl (it is not clear whether she was a shepherdess or a peasant-girl, and there are several versions about her name), who was struck by the "burning" taste of that water, which she even mistook for spirit, and rushed to tell her fellow townspeople about it.
The parish priest, sensing an opportunity for profit, bought the field where the spring was and set up a business for bottling and selling the "gassy water of Bognanco". Other springs were to be discovered in later years: Ausonia, Adelaide, San Lorenzo, and, more recently, Gaudenziana.
As a holiday resort, Bognanco offers many cultural and leisure activities. Its waters are bicarbonate-alkaline and bicarbonate-sulphureous-alkaline, especially indicated in the treatment and prevention of illnesses affecting the liver, digestive tract, biliary system, metabolism, the urinary tract and renal calculosis. Besides the water cure, available free of charge inside the spa park, treatments include inhalations, sauna, underwater and ordinary massages, diathermy.
Agliano
The thermal spring was discovered in the 18th century, but the town dates back to 400 A.D.
According to a local legend, Emperor Frederic II Hohenstaufen fell madly in love with Bianca Lancia, Agliano's beautiful châtelaine, and took her to Palermo. Their son Manfredi is mentioned in Dante's "Divine Comedy."
During the Second World War, Agliano was chosen as the seat of the provisional government set up by the Resistance in the liberated zone. Located in the picturesque setting of the 
Monferrato hills, Agliano is renowned for its cuisine (one of whose highlights is "King Carlo Alberto's Bread," flavoured with anchovies and walnuts) and for the eccellence of its wines, celebrated every year during "Le Giornate della Barbera." For information, call the local Tourist Bureau.
The spa was founded in 1900 and has underwent several renovations. Its waters are effective against illnesses of the respiratory and digestive tracts and rhinogenic deafness. All therapies are carried out in agreement with the national health service. In May, 1999 new facilities have been inaugurated and include physiotherapy, standard and underwater massages, and others. The implementation of a beauty centre is also being planned.
Acqui
The qualities of Acqui's water have been known for centuries. The Romans, who named the place Acque Statiellae, built an aqueduct whose remains are still visible, and turned the town into a thriving trading and military post.
In the course of time, the area suffered invasions and decline, and flourished again in the early Seventeenth century, when it was annexed to the Savoy kingdom.
It eventually became a renowned resort and spa, whose regulars included aristocrats, artists and other celebrities. Acqui offers tourists and patients plenty of cultural and leisure activities as well as libraries, concerts and curiosities: one should not miss "La Bollente," a hot spring in the very heart of town with a water temperature of 75° C.
The town is also close to the Langhe and to the Preappennino Ligure-Piemontese with their natural and culinary attractions, and has several hotels of all categories.
For further information, call the Tourist Bureau.
Acqui's water, used to "ripen" the muds and for other treatments, is effective against lung and ear, nose and throat illnesses, rheumatisms, circulation and gynecological problems. A beauty centre and a line of spa water-based cosmetics are also available.
Vicoforte
The springs are located inside a park, not far from the Vittozzi shrine, commissioned by Vittorio Emanuele I and boasting the world's biggest ellipsoidal dome.
Vicoforte's two springs, one sulphureous and the other magnesic, were discovered in the 1850's. After a period of decline, the spa building has been thoroughly restored and now hosts an elegant café.
The waters are available to the public free of charge.
Sulphureous water is effective in the treatment of ophtalmic problems, respiratory tract illnesses, skin diseases and gout. Magnesic-alkaline water favours the secretion of gastric juices and helps the treatment of arthritis.
Garessio
At the very centre of communication and trade routes between Piedmont and Liguria, in the late nineteenth century Garessio became also a famous health and holiday resort thanks to its springs. Although known for centuries by the locals and praised by Napoleon himself, only in 1926 was the water of Garessio bottled and commercialised, and made available to the general public.
The town consists of four boroughs and several smaller villages, and offers many cultural and leisure initiatives, as well as natural and artistic attractions, and during the winter becomes a renowned ski resort. For information, call the local Tourist Bureau.
The springs are located within the spa park. Their water is light, diuretic, and effective against renal calculosis. It integrates low-sodium diets, favours the elimination of uric acid and is suitable to the feeding of babies. Treatments available at Garessio include specialistic medical tests and are carried out in agreement with the NHS.
Lurisia
The virtues of Lurisia's water were discovered in 1917 in the course of research being carried out by and on behalf of Marie Curie.
The spa became operative in 1940, and the area soon became a popular holiday resort. More recently, it has also acquired some renown as a skiing resort. The waters of Lurisia are indicated in the cure and prevention of illnesses affecting the nose, ear and throat, the respiratory tract, the digestive system, the skin, as well as rheumatisms and gynecological problems. All treatments are carried out under medical supervision, by specialized staff, and only after thorough medical examinations.
The spa operates in agreement with the NHS. A beauty center is also available.
Valdieri
The Valdieri spa complex is in the Alpi Marittime national park, which hosts several protected species.
The therapeutic virtues of this place seem to have been known since Roman times, but the earliest official records date to the sixteenth century, when a Savoy king commissioned the erection of a building. However, for over a century Valdieri failed to attract visitors: only in the eighteenth century, and after the completion of a proper road in 1830, did it become the Savoys' favourite spa, being also within the royal hunting preserve.
The water of Valdieri, whose temperature ranges between 50-75°C, is effective in the treatment of rheumatisms, ORL, skin and gynecological problems, and illnesses affecting the respiratory tract. All therapies are carried out in agreement with the NHS.
One of Valdieri's main attractions are natural rock cavities with a temperature of about 50-60°C, heated by the hot springs and saturated with sulphureous vapours. This therapy is effective against complaints of the locomotor apparatus and the respiratory tract. Another unique feature of this spa are the muffe, i.e. a kind of algae, grown outdoors on wooden and stone slopes, treated with thermal water and applied to the skin. This treatment is said to be even more effective than fangotherapy.
Valdieri also offers massages, physiotherapy, and beauty treatments.
Vinadio
This complex is in Alta Val Stura, surrounded by a spectacular and uncontaminated natural park in the Maritime Alps. Only 30 km. from the French border, it can be easily reached from Cuneo, Borgo San Dalmazzo, and Demonte.
The water of Vinadio, bacteriologically pure, is sulpureous-chlorate-calcium-lithiose, and springs from eight fissures in the rock at temperatures ranging from 30° to 65°C, with an overall outpour of 85,000 litres every 24 hours.
