A day at a natural spa in Toscany

During the holidays, with some friends we have organized a day trip to Bagno Vignoni, a UNESCO heritage site near Siena (Tuscany) that offers unique termal springs well known since the time of encient Etruscans. A special gem amongst the numerous thermal springs in the south of Tuscany Bagno Vignoni is actually a hamlet of San Quirico d’Orcia, with a grand total of forty inhabitants. Bagno Vignoni remained a popular spa from the Roman period and throughout the Middle Ages – thanks to its location on the Via Francigena, once the most important road from Rome to Santiago de Compostela, Canterbury and Jutland. The simple pilgrims and travelling merchants were not the only ones who eased their tired limbs in the hot thermal waters.

Even in those days the little spa had a big attraction, one that has probably remained unique to this day: a main square of steaming water or, to be more precise, a square in the shape of one big thermal pool. That is the collecting basin for the 52-degree-hot thermal water. Before surfacing from a depth of one thousand metres in the area around Bagno Vignoni, it spends about ten years into the underground, covering the forty kilometres from the Monte Amiata to Bagno Vignoni and dissolving minerals and sulphur compounds from the limestone rock on its way.

The secret of the thermal waters of Bagno Vignoni lies in its concentrated, yet balanced mix of sulphur compounds, bicarbonates and sulphates. In combination with a natural source temperature of 52°C, it has outstanding therapeutic properties for treating the skin and respiratory tract, stimulating the circulatory and immune systems, strengthening the connective tissues and vascular system, and bringing relief to pains of the bones, joints and back.
Whether used for bathing or applied in the form of packs, wraps or hydrotherapies, etc., Bagno Vignoni’s flowing fountain of youth has a calming and relaxing effect on body and soul.

There are several hotels in the village all of them with private swimming pools with thermal water. We went to the Hotel Posta Marcucci, in the center of the village. It has a wonderfol  large panoramic swimming pool fed by the healthy thermal water of Bagno Vignoni, and is embedded in a spur of travertine rock that dominates the lush gorge through which the river Orcia flows. This peculiarity provides with an amazing view of one of the most stunning vistas of the Val d’Orcia, dominated by the beautiful Rocca d’Orcia. So even if it was a cold and rainy day we spent a relaxing couple of hours swimming in the open air.

And after such a big effort we really had to fill our mouths with good food, which we found at Restaurant La Parata, in the center of the village.

Hospitality and delicious, typical dishes have always been served here in the old-style dining rooms with oak beams.
Giancarlo Diodato, chef and owner,  prepares dishes that are typical of the area adding his personal twist and changing menus 2 or 3 times each week with home-made pasta (pici, which are fat spaghetti, ravioli stuffed with potato, pecorino cheese and mint, ribollita vegetable soup, egg-ribbon pasta with wild-boar sauce) and main courses depending on the season (braised wild boar, guinea fowl in vinsanto wine, rabbit in vernaccia wine, grilled pecorino cheese with radicchio). I had a delicious and generous portion of pici with boar ragu after a mix of different local salami.

A 3 course meal averages at € 25.00 excluding drinks. On a nice day, and in summer evenings, you can enjoy your meal in our lovely terraced garden with a view on the valley.