Nature & Well-being in Italy
When Nature is protected
The most effective way to fully protect nature and conserve it is through planned protection measuresorganised at state level. The amount of Italian territory under state protection in one way or another is 10%. Environmental protection laws have allowed many nature parks and reserves to be opened which are used solely for developing nature in all of its forms. In the Italian parks and nature reserves, therefore, not only are the animals untouchable but also the plants, minerals, water and even the air.
Italy has 18 National Parks, 89 Regional Parks, 270 Regional Reserves, 142 State Reserves, 47 Marsh reserves and 7 Marine Reserves, which are protected zones managed either by the State in some form – Regional Councils, Provincial Councils and Municipalities – or by the environmental and protection associations such as Italia Nostra, WWF, Lega Ambiente, Greenpeace, LIPU, Touring Club, etc.
The National Parks are: Abruzzo (the oldest, officially opened in September 1922), Gran Paradiso (opened a few months after the Abruzzo park), Circeo, Stelvio, Calabria, Pollino, Monti Sibillini, Archipelago Tuscany, the Caserta Forests, the Belluno Dolomite mountains, Aspromonte, Cilento-Valle di Diano, Gargano, Gran Sasso-Laga, Maiella, Val Grande, Vesuvius, and Gennargentu-Asinara-Golfo di Orosei. We have listed all of them to show how in Italy Nature is loved and protected as much in the North as in the South.
What better reason, then, for planning a trip to at least one of Italy’s “natural” attractions?
Thermal spas and well-beingFrom water to water…
Thermal waters have been used for hydrotherapeutic purposes in the Mediterranean region since ancient times as can be seen from archaeological finds, literary and scientific writings and numerous epigraphs. These treatments have, for the most part, been left unaltered over twenty-four centuries since the age of the ancient Greek philosophers, through various historical periods, and with the exception of the introduction of advanced technology. Hippocrates was a great believer in the use of thermal spas and in his treaty Use of Liquids he sang the praises of the properties of mineral waters and hot springs.
As time went by, use of the experimental method led to an innovative approach in using thermal waters for therapeutic purposes and new treatments being introduced.
Fortunately, society progressed and the amount of available financial resources increased among all sections of the population thus making it possible for everyone to benefit from thermal treatments. The advantages of these treatments are not only linked to the waters’ curative properties but also to the beauty and natural attractions that are a general characteristic of Italian spas. The idea of treatment also being a means of recovering energy and physical well-being is quite rightly connected to the idea of a holiday resort and intelligent use of leisure time.
In this way the ancient tradition of thermal waters was modernised and brought up to date. And today more than ever, the use of new methods has turned it into a fundamental tool of modern medicine.
Therefore thermal resorts’ success is linked to the overall quality of life in the spas. Indeed there is no doubt that the environment plays an important role in treatments which involve rest or seasonal cures. And a stay which offers a large range of possibilities both with regard to broadening cultural and artistic knowledge and the climate is extremely advisable.
Italian spas can boast outstanding climatic conditions and are located in areas of great natural beauty. These characteristics have a positive influence on our body’s balance and contribute to general physical and mental well-being.
Therefore it is obvious that Italy’s richness in thermal and mineral waters, combined with the mildness of the climate and the beauty of the scenery, have made it a favourite venue for “health care tourism”. Since the last century hotels with extensive facilities have grown up around spas, which have established international reputations. Abano, Salsomaggiore, Chianciano, Montecatini, Fiuggi and Ischia are just a few of the names among the many which are known throughout the world and which attract millions of visitors every year.
As we already know, thermal waters have been used in Italy for therapeutic purposes since the time of the Romans when thermal waters and baths were a typical feature of town life. Italian spa resorts’ proximity to great centres of art means they are perfect bases for cultural excursions. In addition the splendid parks surrounding the most famous spas and the facilities and services made available to tourists makes them ideal holiday resorts in their own right.
Italian spas do not have solely hot water resources to offer insofar as mineral (“cold”) springs are also used for drinking purposes. The wealth of hot and mineral springs in Italy is the result of its particular geological structure which is rich in volcanic phenomena and permeated, in every sense of the word, by a dense network of groundwater channels, in North Italy many spas have sprung up on the Euganei Hills in Veneto – volcanic highlands where numerous hot springs gush out. The main form of treatment in this area is mud therapy recommended for rheumatic illnesses and problems regarding the respiratory system and female genital organs.
In the city of Abano, a rather strange legend would have that Phaeton, son of the Sun god, fell to the ground there with his chariot in flames. His fall caused waters to spring forth which were able to relieve fatigue and pain (aponon – hence the name Abano).
Moving further south, there is a series of thermal resorts in Emilia-Romagna on the foothills of the Apennines. Many of these (Tabiano, Salsomaggiore, Castrocaro) identify themselves with their thermal waters to the extent that the word terme (spa) is part of their official name. The springs have similar chemical properties (predominantly sulphurous, and often containing sodium chloride, iodide or bromide). They are recommended for a wide range of afflictions: metabolic disorders, respiratory and vascular problems and skin diseases.
Tuscany is another Italian region with a high concentration of spas whose waters were already in use in ancient times and are still popular today, including Saturnia, Roselle, Chianciano and Chiusi. During the last century Tuscan thermal spas underwent great changes. Resorts such as Montecatini and Chianciano are no longer exclusive holiday resorts and have equipped themselves to cater for a growing number of visitors. Montecatini and Chianciano have gradually become more and more important and statistics prove the reputation they have acquired. Montecatini can boast 1,700,000 visitors per year (a quarter of these coming from abroad) while Chianciano can boast 1,860,000 visitors per year (180,000 foreigners).
The spa resorts in Lazio are linked to the volcanic activity which has shaped the morphology of much of the region. Bagni di Tivoli, on the outskirts of the capital and Fiuggi, further south, are especially well known. Fiuggi waters are especially noted for the treatment of kidney stones and their fame has led to the development of over two hundred and fifty hotels.
In southern Italy the numerous spas forming an arc around the Gulf of Naples are extremely important. This is one of the most active volcanic zones in Italy, characterised by large layers of magma located close to the surface.
Ischia is among the most famous thermal spas in Italy and abroad. Its radioactive waters are particularly recommended for arthritis, rheumatism, obesity and metabolic disorders.
