Excursions out of Florence - The thermal bath at 52 °C of Bagno Vignoni

Tuscany is a land of thermal baths, especially the south, because it was a land of volcanoes. One of the most spectacular thermal baths is in Bagno Vignoni, in the Municipality of San Quirico d’Orcia, one hour driving from Siena. A small village (30 resident inhabitants) along the Via Francigena, traveled by pilgrims from France to Rome since the early Middle Ages. The village is dominated by the impressive Castello di Vignoni, built around the year 1000, on top of a hill. From there you can enjoy an exceptional view over the Val d’Orcia, a natural park recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site since 2004.

In the very center of Bagno Vignoni there's "Piazza delle sorgenti" (Springs Square), with its large rectangular travertine pool measuring 50 by 30 meters, and 36 springs of water at 52 °C coming from the 1000 meters deep volcanic aquifer. In winter, the hot water evaporates from the contact with cold air, covering the pool and the whole square with a thick fog, and creating an extraordinary scenographic effect. The stone buildings, the balconies, the little squares, the alleys, the sheltered walkways and the pool make for an architectural ensemble so aesthetically harmonious and magical that the village is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy and was a film set for countless movies. Rich in sulfate, bicarbonate, calcium and magnesium, the alkaline waters were already used by the Etruscans and Romans to treat diseases of the bones, genitalia and respiratory systems and various dermatological problems.

From the pool, the water flows over the rocks towards the Orcia river, dividing into many rivulets, forming waterfalls and very suggestive limestone encrustations, pools and little lakes where you can bathe. A part is diverted into a large pool open to the public and into private hotel pools. Between the rocks and the mastic scrubs is the Parco dei Mulini (Park of the mills). The waterfalls were in fact used to operate 4 watermills from the 12th century, carved into the rock. The mills worked even in the summer as they were alimented by deep and perennial sources, when all the other mills stopped as the streams were dry. It's incredible that they were in operation until 1955, when the area was acquired by the Municipality of San Quirico d’Orcia.

Used as a holiday resort since 1300, the pool was frequented by popes, artists, writers and politicians such as Lorenzo the Magnificent, in short, by the good society of the time. There's a legend regarding this place: Saint Catherine of Siena was brought here by her mother in an attempt to distract her from the idea of ​​becoming a nun (around 1362). But Catherine, instead of having fun, tortured herself by diving where the water was boiling, getting horribly burned. It is said that sometimes a luminous trail is seen in the pool, where Catherine bathed.

On the square is the palace built in 1459 by Bernardo Rossellino, one of the most important architects of the Renaissance, which was commissioned by the humanist and scholar Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini).