The history of Ischia's thermal spas

At Nitrodi, one of Ischia island's ancient thermal centres, stood a small temple dedicated to Apollo and the nymphs. Built next to the thermal font the temple showed the ancients' belief in the healing power of this gift from the gods.

It was also the ancient Greeks who began the scientific quest into what exactly were the properties of this thermal water and Hippocrates, in his "Use of Liquids" treatise praised both mineral water and hot springs for their beneficial health qualities.

If Greek settlement on the island was first to tap into the thermal waters, under Roman rule Ischia's thermal springs became public baths and their use more widespread. New sources were soon discovered and developed and Cavascura and Cartoromana thermal fonts are two of these examples.

Several centuries later, in the 1500s, Neapolitan doctor Giulio Iasolino provided further scientific analysis of Ischia's waters. Each thermal font and spa was classified according to its mineral composition. That of Nitrodi, for example, was classified medium level mineral water and hypothermal, particularly good for the skin.

The following century a spa clinic for the poor was built at Casamicciola Terme, the "Pio Monte della Misericordia". It  drew on the Gurgitello, Fornello and Fontana thermal fonts for restorative treatments and the fame of Ischia's thermal waters grew. So much so that the hero of Italy's unification movement, Giuseppe Garibaldi, arrived at Lacco Ameno in 1864 to soak his wounds after the battle of Aspromonte.

During the 19th century, Sebastian Kneipp, a German priest considered one of the founders of Naturopathic medicine, began to apply hydrotherapy to support medical treatment. Based on a system of controlled water temperatures and pressures, the Kneipp pools also became a standard feature in Ischia's thermal centres.

In 1892 the "Antica Fabbrica di Cosmetici" also began operation, using the island's special mud as a base for cosmetic products. This mud factory has become an international business under the name of Ischia Thermae and represents a transition from the strictly curative focus of the thermal springs to overall wellness and aesthetic benefits.

Over the course of the last 100 years Ischia's thermal centres began offering the complete package - pools, saunas and spas; doctors, beauticians and masseurs; food, scenery and comfort. The ancient rites of Nitrodi and Cava Scura can now be contrasted with the modern spa resorts of Poseidon Gardens and Negombo, all drawing strength from Ischia's natural treats - its unique red mud, 29 thermal springs, 69 fumaroles and over 100 spas.