Saturnia
ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT VILLAGES IN THE MAREMMA
Saturnia is one of the most interesting villages in the Maremma. It is one of the oldest villages in Italy and is famous throughout the world for its spas and the properties of its sulphurous waters known since ancient times.
What to see in Saturnia
The village of Saturnia is certainly worth a visit. Small but elegant, it consists of a main square (Piazza Vittorio Veneto) characterized by a large garden with fountains and surrounded by numerous venues, perfect for discovering local food and wine. The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, the Aldobrandesca Fortress from the 12th century located south of the village, the ancient Via Clodia (on which there are still visible the furrows created by the passage of ancient carts) which leads to the Roman Gate (built by the Romans in the 2nd century BC and the only one of the four gates left standing) are just some of the places of interest that make up the village.
In the center of the town there is the Archaeological Museum of Saturnia. Here there are finds from Saturnia (Necropolis of Puntone), Pitigliano, Sovana and the Albegna valley, many finds belonged to the private collection of the Ciacci family, one of the most important and wealthy in these areas. Also in the heart of the town we find the Pietro Aldi Cultural Center which, in addition to being a multifunctional meeting place with a children’s library, preserves and exhibits the largest collection of this Manchanese painter from the second half of the nineteenth century.
What to see in the surrounding area
Leaving the village not far from the town center you will find the Necropolis of Puntone, a place that rises within an oak forest with approximately twenty burials immersed in nature.
In the locality of Poggio Murella, another hamlet of the municipality of Manciano, five kilometers from Saturnia, a place that is worth a visit is the Castellum Aquarum, a cistern from the Roman era with arches and vaults eight meters high, thirty-six meters long, sixteen meters wide. This work was created in the Romanesque era during the 1st century BC. and was part of a larger structure with other cisterns and various buildings. It had the function of collecting spring water. This is the place of the legend of the Bella Antiglia, an Etruscan queen who is said to have been buried here with her golden carriage.
The events of Saturnia
Saturnia Film Festival . A festival dedicated to short films from all over the world, takes place in the summer.
Saturnia Music Festiva.
New Year’s Eve in Saturnia. In Piazza Vittorio Veneto the celebrations for the last night of the year with the lighting of the so-called “Focarazza”, live music and much more.
THE SATURNIA SPA
This structure deserves special mention, the pride of Saturnia and the entire territory. The Hotel Terme di Saturnia wellness center Spa & Golf Resort is a very high level thermal park located at the foot of the medieval village (about one kilometer outside the town centre). Four outdoor thermal pools (including a natural thermal spring with water that flows continuously from the heart of the earth) immersed in the Maremma nature, sulphurous water at 37.5 °C (perfect for all seasons) with recognized healing properties, 3000 years of history (the Romans already loved diving in these waters). These characteristics make this place an obligatory stop for anyone traveling to this part of the Tuscan Maremma. To complete the structure, a luxury resort with rooms and suites, restaurants, bars and shopping area, a “SPA and Beauty” area for thermal well-being with treatments and aesthetic medicine and the “Terme di Saturnia Golf Club”, a large field 18-hole golf course. 6316 meters and 70 undulating hectares, also a stop on the national circuit of the Italian Golf Federation.
Entrance to the spa complex (excluding the hotel swimming pool/spring which is reserved for its guests) is 24 or 28 euros per day depending on weekdays or holidays.
LE CASCATE DEL MULINO
Another way to enjoy the spa experience of this area of Tuscany are the Cascate del Mulino, free and free, open 24 hours a day. The waterfalls are located about three kilometers from the town of Saturnia, practically adjacent to the Hotel delle Terme. From the source (the hotel’s natural swimming pool) the thermal waters continue outside the structure in a small natural canal about 500 meters long called “Gorello” (also in this “river” it is possible to swim freely). At a certain point the river meets a difference in height and creates a waterfall, next to it there is an ancient mill (hence the name of the waterfalls). Over time, the sulphurous water has formed natural pools on multiple levels, making this place unique in the world. The waterfalls, although immersed in the green countryside, are easily accessible and have ample parking, identifiable from above (this alone deserves a stop and a photo) when you arrive in Saturnia from Manciano/Grosseto. As mentioned, “Le Cascatelle” are always open, accessible even at night and this is perhaps the most particular time for an open-air bath. The Cascate del Mulino represent a uniqueness, an obligatory stop for those who love thermal waters and natural spas.
