Mineral Waters. The Via Appia.

The Via Appia, Appian Way, is an ancient road that linked Rome to the Albano Hills. From 312 B.C.E. and the 19 B.C.E. was broaden to reach one of the most lively harbours of the Mediterranean, Brindisi in the Apulia Region. Sadly reknowned for the crucifixion, from Rome to Pompeii, of the rebel slaves headed by Spartacus, and more popular as Regina Viarum, the queen of the streets, with very interesting archeological spots, such as the Cecilia Metella Mausoleum, the Maxentius Circus, the Villa of the Quintilii. 

The antient part of the road is always crowded with tourists from all over the world, attracted by the wonders of an open air museum of extraordinary archeological value, and with Romans that go there for a picnic or a zero-stress walk under the shade of the maritime pines. Some of them probably ignore that they are actually keeping alive the ancient tradition of celebrating ritual banquets near or over the sepulchres that were situated at the side of the main consular ways, that are clearly visible on the road to Brindisi. 

Besides being a cultural and touristic attraction of high historical value, the Appian Way is also a road to natural wellbeing and not only for the healthy walks en plein air, but also for the high number of mineral and naturally sparkling waters, where Romans and people from the Province refill their bottles with a little expense. The tradition of refilling the bottles of water has always been a joyful event where kids, parents and granparents participate. 

At a few metres there are, to quote a few, the Appia, the Capannelle, the Egeria, historic Roman mineral lightly sparkling waters that have a number of depurative and refreshing qualities. 

Thermae. Fiuggi.

A few kilometres from Rome, one of thermal centres most reknowned for effectiveness of the hydropic cures since  time immemorial and which reputation lasted during the centuries. The medieval pope Bonifacio VIII  greatly appreciated the  healthy effects of the waters and  Michelangelo Buonarroti attests to be completely recoverd from a bad kidney stone thanks to the healing power of the springs, obviously the Fiuggi sources. Definetly not good if looking for the relax in the sweating grottos, bathing in hot effervescent bathtubs or getting covered with muds, ideal, instead to get cuddled in that sometimes poshy environment of the thermae, places that convey a decadent luxury also in contermporary ambients.

©2010.2021

Italic thermae, Etruria

Etruria is probably the Italic region with the highest number of Italian thermal baths, it was spread partially on Umbria, Tuscany, and Northern Latium, covering one of the areas with the highest number of warm thermal spring. Among the various centres, some towns and centres live mainly thanks to the healthy waters, one being Chianciano Terme, close to an ancient burg, a metropolis of wellbeing in the middle of Tuscany hills, that was the natural set for the Fellini Oscar winning movie  8 ½ . For the film buffs, the surreal square of Borgo Vignoni, in the province of Siena, with the springs within the village and a swimming pool instead of the central square is a must see, it was the natural set for  Andrej Tarkovsky's Nostalgia and for Carlo Verdone's Al lupo al lupo. These thermal warm waters were one of the meeting points for the Etruscans and, later, hosted and inspired Lorenzo il Magnifico, Saint Caterina da Siena, pope Pio Piccolomini,  and more contemporary artists enchanted by the presence of a big thermal bath in the middle of a burg and not, as usual, in the outskirts of a city, and by the suggestive fog much more evident during winter nights with a clear sky. Italic populations knew and appreciated very well the therapeutic virtues of the healthy waters that gained the respect and protection for generations till now, so that they arrived unaltered or still untouched to present. In particular in Etruscan thermae, ancient gestures melt with luxury contemporary rituals, reserving a space also to the 'popular' use, fully respecting nature. A good example is the famous Saturnia complex with the natural small falls freely accessible and the SPA that offers paths studied for a selected public, based on the well studied salvage of the tradtions for the wellness market, with thermal products elaborated on ancient recipes, massages and cures for the body and the self that mix the most cutting-edge wellbeing techniques with gestures deeply rooted in the Italic and pre-Roman culture. The scarce information on the Etruscan culture, show us quite a liberal and libertine society, attentive to beaty, the frivolity of apparences and, obvuously, to wellbeing of the body with oils, creams and, most probably, clays and muds. A revival of traditions in the contemporary society, especially in the industry that make of the daily pleasures a matter of luxurious attention to the self. 

©2010.2021

Italic Thermae. Roman Tuscia, Stigliano thermal baths

Not far from the capital, in the Roman Tuscia, lays an angle of paradise for who loves warm thermal baths, a thermal complex with probable Etruscan origins, named after the Styx, vestibule, hallway to hell. An eighteenth century structure used for the cures and for the SPA frames two small swimming pools surrounded by Etruscan hills and fed with sulfur-iodine hyperthermal (95°F35°C->133°F56°C). The thermae, with the natural steam grotto 'grotta sudatoria', a cave sauna, were considered the necessary step for Roman soldiers coming from Egypt to purify from potential illnesses and 'disinfect' before entering the city. Evidences of tubs in polychrome marbles with statues and little columns might suggest the transformation from a typical Etruscan bath to a Roman thermal bath station, before being handed over noble families that built what is the actual thermal complex nowadays. The springs aren't very generous, but enough to feed a small swimming pool with tepid water (79F26°C->86°F30°C) and a big sink with warm water where it is possible to relax listening to the rustle of wind and trees, the tweeting of birds and the shrill of the cicadas. Perfect for the first spring sun and for who loves thermal cures in an exclusive environment.

©2010.2021

Massage

A massage can make us feel good, sometimes it's really the quintessence of wellbeing par excellence, it's difficult to imagine all the types of massage. Who receives a massage is, generally speaking, grateful to who is doing it and the really good masseurs are the ones that do not ask you which technique, but are able to adapt the movements to the actual needs of the bodies, so much linked to the mind to forget about this connection too often. 

Just like breathing, an automatism we forget the importance of, we forget to cuddle the body, we thing that exercising or a massage are a luxury that we cannot afford either for lack of money or time, and if we would just think of the time we waste to find the umpteenth excuse not to cuddle it, we would realise how important it is to remember that learning ho to be in harmony with ourselves can begin also with a massage, possibly with the sound of the tweets of the birds.

In the province, wellbeing more than a state of mind is a lyfestyle, starting from eating healthy foods, trying to reduce stress, and going for a walk whenever possible. And it's especially in the provincia that you can finda the centres and the associations more a l'avant-garde for what concerns relaxing techniques and massages. Places fully immersed in nature, or at the very heart of burgs and towns that deserve a trip, or in thermal centres. To discover, also as an idea for wellness weekends.
© 2010.2021

Harvesting of olives, ancient rituals, contemporary wellness

A deep rooted tradition renewed yearly, one of those habits that for some hour or some day can transport every-day problems elsewhere bringing back that harmony of body and soul so vital for the balance and to face the coming week with strenght and wit.

In some areas in Italy, more than a tradition, it's about a rustic rite, with songs and dances, a rite recreated during the centuries that can be traced back to ancient peoples living in the provinces of Italian oil.

Oil is one of the cornerstones of Mediterranean cuisine and in the course of time the hydrating  and nourishing qualities of this precious element of the Earth were discovered also for the cosmetic sector.

But oil is not only a great element, a miracle of nature with many beneficial qualities, and we'll write about it in the next posts, is also the main ingredient for something that is finding its way as a trend of ecosustainable tourism: weekends dedicated to the harvesting of olives, a moment to regain the mind-and-body balance and the relationship with our deeper roots.

During oil weekends the day begins with a short energizing massage to immerse the body in PDO extra-virgin-olive-oil based oils and greams to eliminate the muscles tensions, and warm the body with exercises of yoga, pilates, stretching and a brief meditation that helps to purify the chakras, especially the ones more deeply connected to the roots, namely the firs, the second and the third. Light breakfast with natural bio high-proteine food, season's fruit harvested the very same morning, juices, home made organic jams and marmelades, energising and purifying teas to eliminate the toxins stockpiled during the week. Deep breathing in the olive tree grove to connect to the elements of nature.

And let's start the harvesting paying attention to each and every element, considering them integral parts of a deep meditation. The relationship with the group is really important, everything begins while spreading the sheets. While proceeding you get completely immersed in the olive tree grove harmony and repeating ancient gestures we forget bad moods, stress, nervosism.  

Lunch time is a moment to enjoy conviviality that generally takes the shape of two BBQs, one meat-based with local products and bruschetta, and another one with seitan, vegetables, bruschetta  and 0miles dairies, everything sprinkled with local wine, herbal teas, mineral and thermal drinking waters.

A brief meditation before the end of the day, bringing back all the tools and getting ready for the tea-time, 'merenda' in Italian, with just out of the oven PDO-extra-virgin-olive-oil-based cakes, fruit, jams, herbal teas, bruschette with oils spiced with products of the Earth hand crafted in the full respect of nature.

Regenerating, aromatherapy shower, yoga, massage with warm oils and thermal creams that join the Ayurvedic science with the pre-roman people's traditions. The dinner is vegetarian and mainly with local products, respecting the environment and the traditions.

The evening, in the 'strade dell'olio', it's time for games, with dance and music jam sessions, D&D, readings and jousts.


©2010.2020

Italic Thermae. Sabina. Terme di Cretone.

Among the thermae in the Sabine territory, a true jewel of absolute purity hides within the hills, a refreshment and curative site neighboring the Natural Park riserva del Barco. Crystal clear sulphureous thermo mineral waters that offer Romans, and above all Sabines and foreign tourists with a passion for discovering Italy in all its nuances, a moment of paradisiac wonder. 
Water is freezing   (22-23° Celsius) with natural and constant draining of a stream, a brook. Perfect to tone up and get some refreshment during hot Italian summers. 

The contrast between the freshness of the large and deep swimming pools with artificial water falls, or the large kids swimming pool, and the warmth of the Sabine's stones in the poolside tournaments heated by the sun of the dog days  definetely helps blood circulation and smooths the skin. 

The closest busy street is kilometers away, beyond the parks borders, the stream and the olive tree groves of the first, in chronological terms, Italian PDO extra virgin oil.
The thermal centre combines to the centre for the cures a beauty farm, massage rooms and a cosmetics brand of products made of muds and sulfur waters.

That is  Terme di Cretone , where swimming in a cloud of thermal waters mirroring the blue of the sky, the green of the park and overlooking the Monti Lucretili.  

Not hard to believe that from the close ancient cities of Corniculum, Nomentum, Eretum, Sabine people used to go in search of some refreshment after a long working day or to wash away the summer heat with the kids, sometimes future emperors and kings of Ancient Rome, to the thermae of Cretone, probably a trendy and healing place for the high society of the time.
The healing and cosmetics characteristics of the thermo mineral sulfur waters of Cretone were well known in ancient times, when Sabines bathed in the springs and used the drinkable waters to fight winter diseases as a basis for suffumigation and ointmments. A tradition that has been refashioned over the centuries till reaching a synthesis with the modern cosmetics technologies: a brand of thermal products absolutely elengant to show in the most exclusive summer locations and at the gym to tone up and moisturize the skin. recreating the wonder of natural summer hydro-massage in the bathtub during winter time.

Terme di Cretone are ideal for those who love nature. Composed of two large and deep swimming pools with springboards, aquagym area and a kids swimming pool, grounds for team sports, gym, Spa, medical and cosmetics centre; a small 'piazza' serves as food court, ice-cream and crepes kiosks and 'bazaar' with clothings and delicious oil, wine and food products, and a small bookshop.
 
©2010.2022
Special thanks to the WR community