I’m draped over a couple of foam floats, drifting through the steamy outdoor pool of the Terme di Saturnia resort in southern Tuscany. In these same sulphuric thermal waters, Roman soldiers once bathed to recover from the ravages of war.
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2,000 years later, the water’s therapeutic benefits are still lauded, though instead of boasting their ability to heal battle-inflicted wounds, the pamphlets talk about myorelaxants and hepatic cell activity.
It’s arresting to think that the Etruscans recognised these waters as sacred in the 8th century BC, while Pope Clement III noted their importance in a papal bill of 1188.
Now, the resort, the stunning naturally-formed hot springs just down the road and the cypress-studded hills around have become one of Italy’s most iconic natural wellness destinations.
Over a long weekend, you can soak up a multitude of minerals in myriad pools, hike to a village of divine origins and refuel with belt-busting Tuscan cuisine.
Italy’s thermal waters wrought by Saturn
Walking down the path towards the Cascate del Mulino, the natural thermal water pools are still obscured by trees, but a thick mist rises into the cold air as if someone has lit a fire.
Rounding a corner, the cascading milky blue waters come into sight. Beneath a small stone building on the hillside, a series of white calciferous terraces fan downwards, the steaming water collecting in their basins and gushing over to those below.
The waterfall seems otherworldly - literally so if local legend is to be believed. The name of the area, Saturnia, derives from Saturn who, it is said, wrought this geologically magical landscape.
Frustrated by the constant warfare of men, the god of peace and abundance hurled down a bolt of lightning that struck the earth, bringing forth an eruption of scalding water with the power to calm those who bathed in it.
Saturn’s hot spring miracle is free to take a dip in, and an adjacent cafe and restaurant also rent out bath robes and changing rooms. Arrive as early as you can to avoid the crowds and see the sunrise staining the opaque, vapourous waters orange and pink.
An award-winning wellness resort in Tuscany
The same remedial waters fill the pools of the five-star Terme di Saturnia resort, a 15-minute walk from the Cascate del Mulino.
Built in 1919, the hotel revived the tradition of bathing in these thermal waters for therapeutic benefits. The resort has since expanded to offer a host of treatment programmes and adjacent health facilities, from cryotherapy to pilates reformer classes.
The 37.5°c water is the protagonist of the hotel’s wellness offerings. Rich in bioplankton - a dark green gelatinous algae - amino acids, magnesium and potassium, it fills a vast outdoor pool (which naturally replenishes itself around six times a day) plus waterfall showers, whirlpools and jacuzzis spread around the complex.
Bathing in the water is said to improve mobility, counteract inflammation, stimulate the metabolism and aid digestion. You can also drink a glass of the curative mixture at breakfast - just hold your nose if you are going to give it a try.
You can bolster the health benefits of your bathing with sessions in the saunas, argillarium, hay room and hot and cold pools of the Kneipp Path.
All these facilities are included in the room rate, while you can add on olive oil and basil leaf spa treatments, cryotherapy, naturopathy and medical checkups for an additional fee.
Cheese, truffle and steak: What to eat in Saturnia
Self and health improvement is hungry work, so you can start the day with a breakfast of local cold meats and cheese, eggs cooked how you want, and a banquet of fresh fruit and vegetables to be squeezed on-demand in a juicer.
The half board option also gives you dinner in a choice of three locations.
La Stellata is a smart country trattoria a short car ride away. In rooms of stone walls and terracotta floors, you can indulge in refined classics like Chianina beef tartar with egg yolk, creamy tagliolini pasta with white truffle shavings, and the iconic minimum one kilo Fiorentina steak cooked on an open charcoal grill.
The elegant 1919 restaurant is located in the resort’s main building with a conservatory overlooking the steamy outdoor pool.
Their creatively presented dishes are contemporary reworkings of classics like chicken liver patè with caramelised onions and blueberry bread wafers, potato dumplings stuffed with wild boar in a buttery sage sauce, and risotto with Etruscan cheese and brown stock.
In the Library, you can sink into fireside armchairs and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or have lunchtime bar snacks like a burger with local beef and pecorino cheese at tables beside big windows overlooking the pool.
A hike to the ancient village of Saturnia
Also linked to the myth of Saturn is a hilltop village 30 minutes’ walk from the resort. With prehistoric origins, it was first called Aurinia, the name of the Etruscan water deity that the Romans renamed Saturnia, just like the town is now called.
A stony track past vineyards and through woods leads to the Porta Romana archway, beneath which runs part of the ancient Via Clodia grooved by centuries of cart wheels.
The village was where Roman soldiers would once have paused on their way back from battle to Rome to take the restorative waters.
Now, you can enjoy local white wine at bars on the tree-shaded square and purchase traditional products like pici pasta or crunchy cantucci biscuits from the deli.
Saturnia also has its own special brand of wellness therapy in the form of very friendly local cats who will snuggle on your lap if given the opportunity.