Terme di Acquasanta Terme

Terme di Acquasanta Terme lies in the small town of Acquasanta Terme, in the province of Ascoli Piceno in southern Marche, set in a wooded valley on the ancient Roman Via Salaria not far from Ascoli Piceno. The springs here have been used since antiquity: a Roman waystation known as Vicus ad Aquas stood on the site, the consul Munazio Planco is said by tradition to have been healed by the waters, and surviving Roman bridges nearby attest to the long history of the place. The thermal water is sulphurous, saline and rich in bromine and iodine, emerging warm and used for treatments of the skin, respiratory and rheumatic systems through an inhalation department, mud therapy using mud matured in the spring grotto, balneotherapy and a covered thermal pool, with physiotherapy and hydrokinesitherapy also offered. The most distinctive feature is the natural sweat cave, the Grotta Sudatoria or Grotta Orsini, a warm humid grotto where the thermal vapours create a natural sauna deep in the rock. Treatment staff are trained in medical hydrotherapy, and prescribed cures may be carried out under the national health system with a referral. Wellness entry is offered from around EUR 48 (roughly USD 52) for a session, with romantic and couples' packages priced higher, while medical cures are arranged separately. The thermal season runs roughly from May to November and reservation is required, so visitors should confirm current opening and the status of the grotto and pool, which have at times been affected by restoration work. Combining ancient heritage, a wooded valley setting and a rare natural sweat grotto, Acquasanta Terme offers an unusual and historic spa experience within easy reach of the travertine city of Ascoli Piceno.