Warm Springs of Southern Tuscany

Southern Tuscany is home to a number of therapeutic warm springs. The temperature of the water varies at different springs, depending upon the subsurface geothermal conditions.

The best known and most picturesque warm springs bathing area in the Southern Tuscany, Cascate del Mulino, is located near the village of Saturnia.    In addition to the bathing area carved into an outdoor cascade of natural travertine pools, the warm waters from the springs can be enjoyed at an indoor/outdoor spa upstream from the natural pools.  The waters of Cascate del Mulino are not the warmest in Tuscany, but they are certainly comfortably warm, hovering at a constant temperature of approximately 99° F.

Cascate del Mulino, Saturnia

The thermal waters at Petriolo in the province of Grosseto are perhaps the warmest of the outdoor warm springs in Southern Tuscany at a constant temperature of approximately 109° F. The waters are pumped from an underground geothermal reservoir into a series of cascading travertine basins that have formed over time.  The ambiance at Petriolo is a bit on the Bohemian side, but don’t be alarmed. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.

 

Bathing pools at the warm springs in Petriolo

Bagno Vignoni is a hill town, built around a warm spring in the Val d’Orca, not far from San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza.  The town square is actually a stone basin measuring approximately 50 meters by 30 meters, continuously filling with warm spring water that serves the spas in the town.  There are natural pools for bathing at the Parco dei Mulini near the main parking area as you come into the town, but they are on the edge of a precipitous cliff, so don’t slip!  At the foot of the cliff there is a public bathing area below a waterfall.  The temperature of the water runs approximately 120° F at the source, and then cools to approximately 95° F in the pool on top of the cliff in Parco dei Mulini, to approximately 82° F in the pool at the foot of the cliff.  

Natural warm springs pool at the foot of the cliff in Bagno Vignoni

Town square at Bagno Vignoni

If you are approaching Bagno Vignoni from San Quirico d’Orcia, take the gravel road from San Quirico d’Orcia to the beautiful hill town of Vignoni Alto, which overlooks Bagno Vignoni.  Vignoni Alto is a tiny picturesque village in the hills, and well worth a visit.  The composition of the buildings is exquisite and the views are magnificent.

View of the valley from Vignoni

There are no changing rooms or showers at the outdoor natural springs. So, if you intend to take a dip in the warm springs, you might invest in a full-length terry cloth poncho. You can use the poncho as your personal changing room. Everyone does it, so you’ll fit right in!

If you can’t take a dip in the warm springs, you can make a dip. Let’s make crema di carciofi. It can be used as a dip for fresh vegetables, a spread for crostini, or, a pasta sauce. Take a good number of fresh artichokes (at least 1 per person). Remove the bracts and chokes, and peel the stems. Chop the hearts and stems into small pieces, and immediately place the pieces into a bath of water and fresh-squeezed lemon juice to avoid discoloration.  Prepare a sauté of chopped garlic and shallots (use a generous amount of both) in olive oil with a little salt (and hot pepper flakes, if you like). Add the chopped artichokes and a touch of dry white wine (vermentino or pino grigio). Cover and steam over low heat until the artichokes are soft, stirring as necessary. Once the artichokes are soft, drain the liquid in the pan and blend the artichoke mixture in a food processor with a little (not very much ) cream cheese, until the mix has a rustic texture (mildly chunky, not completely pureed). Why cream cheese? Isn’t that an American product? Why not use mascarpone? Well, Italians often use cream cheese for creating creamy mixtures, because cream cheese has a longer shelf life than mascarpone, so you can always have it on hand. Once the mixture has the texture that you are seeking (which depends on how you will use it), it’s ready.  If the mixture is too think for your purpose, you can thin it with some of the liquid drained from the sauté pan.  If you are making a pasta alla crema di carciofi, before sautéing the garlic and shallots, sauté some pancetta or guanciale. Remove the crispy pancetta or guanciale from the pan (hold it for later) and proceed with the recipe., leaving the drippings from the pancetta or guanciale in the sauté pan for flavor. As you are preparing the crema di carciofi, begin to heat your water for the pasta.  Be sure to salt the pasta water, and, if you like, you can flavor the water with the discarded artichoke bracts and stem peels.  Once the water has been boiling for a while, remove the artichoke discard from the water before adding the pasta.  As always, be sure to cook the pasta al dente.  If you can’t do that, then, perhaps, order a pizza, and use the crema di carciofi as a potato chip dip.  When the crema di carciofi is ready to mix with the pasta (try using pici, if you can find it; otherwise use a thick spaghetti), add the crispy pancetta or guanciale to the sauce, reserving some for garnish, and, if you like, add little grated pecorino toscano.  Serve with a Tuscan chianti.  Measurements have not been provided for this recipe. This is intentional. The absence of measurements allows you to be creative, varying quantities to taste. In Italian recipes, you often see the abbreviation “q.b.” This means “quanto basta,” or “as much as needed” or, in the vernacular, “to taste.” Measurements are just numbers; there’s no accounting for flavor.  Buon appetito!