A central figure in the history of Montecatini Terme, Dr. Pietro Grocco was appointed in 1892 as Government Inspector and Sanitary Director of the thermal baths.

With his intervention, the baths were reorganized and made an integrated system, demonstrating how the state should protect and enhance the thermal waters as a public good. His contribution laid the foundation for the modern Montecatini Spa complex.

A cottage between elegance and prestige

Located in the southern part of Montecatini Alto, on Mura Pietro Grocco Street, the eponymous cottage reflects the stature of its owner. Nestled in a lush garden, the building resembles a small castle: loggias, towers and jutting roofs define its refined aesthetic. Giuseppe Verdi, whose personal physician Grocco was, was also a guest here.

A work signed by Vittorio Bardini

The villa was designed by Pistoiese engineer Vittorio Bardini and opened on July 6, 1902. Its unique style and cozy atmosphere made it an exclusive and representative place of Montecatini prestige from the very beginning.

Today a fine accommodation facility

Villino Grocco has kept its charm intact and now houses a hospitality business, welcoming visitors in a setting that combines history, architecture and nature.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

Villino Scalabrino is a symbolic place in the history of Montecatini Terme, linked to prominent figures in the city and in Tuscany. It was commissioned by physician Alberto Scalabrino from architect Giulio Bernardini, a central figure in the city’s urban planning.

He is credited with such masterpieces as the Grand Hotel & La Pace, the Bristol, the Eden and the Torretta, Fortuna and Tamerici spas.

The garden signed by Pietro Porcinai

In the 1950s, at the behest of Dino Scalabrino-famous health director of the spa-the villa was enlarged and enriched by landscape architect Pietro Porcinai, considered the greatest Italian landscape architect of the 20th century. Walking along Via Magenta, it is still possible to admire the elegant ornamental garden, designed with vegetation inspired by spa parks and with a gate with the typical curved lines of Art Nouveau.

A partnership between art, nature and healing

The understanding between Porcinai and Dino Scalabrino was consolidated over time. In 1969, the latter commissioned the architect to create an outdoor museum at Villa Ortensie, the future heart of the Dino Scalabrino Art Academy. A project that combines nature, wellness and culture.

A private and discreet beauty

Today the Villino Scalabrino is privately owned and cannot be visited, but it remains one of the most fascinating buildings on the Montecatinese architectural scene, a witness to an era of great artistic and cultural ferment.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

The Naiads, in Greek mythological tradition, were nymphs associated with fresh water, a symbol of beauty and vitality.

In Montecatini Terme, these legendary figures take shape in an exquisite fountain, located in the striking garden of the Tamerici Establishment.

A work signed by Mario Rutelli

The fountain was created in the 1930s by Palermo sculptor Mario Rutelli, the same author of the famous Fountain of the Naiads in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica. The one in Montecatini represents a prototype, designed to evoke the purity and benefits of the city’s thermal waters.

Four nymphs, one harmony of water and art

The sculptural composition consists of four bronze female figures lying on travertine bases, each with a specific identity:

  • the Nymph of the Lakes, recognizable by the swan;
    the Nymph of the Underground Waters, riding a dragon;
  • The Nymph of the Oceans, riding a horse;

The River Nymph, lying on a sea monster.

An icon of art in the spa green

Surrounded by greenery and tranquility, the Naiad Fountain represents a perfect blend of nature, symbolism and sculptural art, helping to make the atmosphere of the Tamerici Plant even more fairy-tale and enchanted.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

The Crocodile Fountain, considered the symbol of the Tettuccio Establishment, was created by Florentine artist Sirio Tofanari and inaugurated on October 17, 1926, to coincide with the opening of the spa.

This striking fountain features two bronze crocodiles supporting a dark Labrador granite shell. From here, the Tettuccio spring flows into a large circular travertine pool, elegantly decorated with seahorses and green glass blocks.

Restoration and Symbolism

Tofanari’s work benefited from a major restoration in March 2023, sponsored and financed by the Angeli del Bello association of Montecatini Terme. The restoration allowed the base, now damaged by the wear and tear of time, to be rebuilt. The Crocodile Fountain represents a splendid water play that celebrates the magnificence and importance of the spa town’s most representative establishment.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

Water is the fundamental element that has allowed Montecatini Terme to thrive over the centuries. The benefits of its thermal springs are celebrated by the many fountains scattered throughout the city’s main squares.

Imagining the Railway Station as a gateway to the city, the first monument that greets the tourist is indeed a fountain, the Mazzoni Fountain.

History and Architecture

This sculpture was built in the 1930s to complete the new railway station, designed by architect Angiolo Mazzoni, after whom the fountain is named. The presence of this imposing monument in the square in front of the station highlights the strong connection between the city and water, which is further enhanced by the details of the fountain itself: a tall tower covered in blue mosaics, surrounded by three sloping basins in which water flows forming small waterfalls.

The station was built between 1933 and 1937 to support the strong expansion that the city experienced at that time, making the only station in Gramsci Square insufficient. In 2016, a project was launched to restore the structure’s waiting rooms, which were opened to the public for the first time during the 2021 FAI Spring Days. The work, overseen by the Superintendency, sought to use the original materials and furnishings as much as possible to be faithful to Mazzoni’s work.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

The heron is the symbolic animal of Montecatini Terme, a choice that is also reflected in the prestigious “Golden Heron,” the award given each year to the winners of the “Montecatini International Short Film Festival.”

This film festival is the second oldest and longest-running in Italy, preceded only by the Venice Film Festival.

Symbol of Eclecticism and Identity

The work titled Red Heron, created in 2003 by Fabio De Poli in collaboration with Mirabili, is located on Verdi Avenue near the City Hall building. The sculpture depicts a stylized steel heron, an intense vermilion color, placed on a rectangular platform that soars its figure. This work perfectly embodies the spirit of Montecatini Terme, not only because the heron is its symbol, but also because of the eclectic style that distinguishes both the sculpture and the city as a whole: a harmonious fusion of styles that makes Montecatini unique.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

Susumu Shingu’s work, the “Duetto d’Acqua” fountain, was installed in 1998 in the center of the vast flowerbed in Domenico Giusti Square, right in front of the Tettuccio Plant.

Movement, Sound and Water

It is a mobile steel sculpture, about three meters high, whose movements produce a dynamic play of water accompanied by evocative musical effects. Water escapes from two long tubes placed at the apex of the sculpture and flows into the six cup-shaped gears below, activating its circular movement. The roar of the water harmonizes with the melodies played by the work, thus celebrating the prodigious element and its deep connection to the city.
It is an enchanting water feature that welcomes visitors to the most famous of Montecatini Terme’s thermal temples, the Tettuccio.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

The Monumental Fountain, located in the central Piazza del Popolo, was built in 1926 and designed by architect Raffaello Brizzi.

To create the bronze ornaments, Brizzi enlisted the help of Pistoia sculptor Antonio Guidotti.

History and Composition

Its construction marked the replacement of a pre-existing quadrangular loggia that had hosted agricultural markets and fairs since 1834. The fountain, made of travertine and bronze, consists of a large circular basin. At the top of the latter are putti holding four horns, from which jets of water flow out to feed the basin below.

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.

In front of the Regina Establishment, in the luxurious Tettuccio Park, is the fountain of the heron, the symbolic animal of Montecatini Terme, and the frog.

The work of Raphael Romanelli

Created in 1925 by sculptor Raffaello Romanelli, the fountain is an allegory of the evolution of the Valdinievole from a swampy and unhealthy area into an area with renowned beneficial properties precisely because of its thermal waters.

The era of epidemics

Before the great land reclamation, the Valdinievole valley went through a very difficult period: between 1550 and 1756 it was struck numerous times by epidemics and famine precisely because of the thermal waters that rose to the surface and stagnated in the craters.

The enlightened work of the Grand Duke

The reclamation work was promoted by Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine, who is in fact considered the enlightened founder of the spa complex. The Grand Duke’s merit was to transform the cause of a territory’s malaise into its source of wealth.

The emergence of spas

In 1773 the first establishment, the Bagno Regio, was built, followed in 1775 by the Terme Leopoldine and in 1779 by the renowned Tettuccio.

The legend told to children

A cute nursery rhyme for children, written by Bruna Rossi with illustrations by Maria Chiara Sbolci, tells the story of Montecatini through the heron and the frog: “In that rather damp land you didn’t get warm with fur! It was a bit of a lonely valley, but it had a really diverse fauna.”

Vacation ideas

Great SPA towns of Europe: Montecatini Terme is a UNESCO world heritage site

Since July 24, 2021, Montecatini Terme has officially become part of an extraordinary cultural project: the Great Spa Towns of Europe, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuscany, land of wines and authentic flavors

Tuscany, with its gentle rolling hills, rows of vines tracing geometries across the landscape, and olive groves glistening in the sun, tells a millennia-old story of agriculture and deep respect for the land.

A journey among the historic Montecatini spas

To stroll through Montecatini’s historic spas is to embark on a journey through time, where water becomes not only a source of well-being but also the inspiring muse of majestic architecture and refined decorations.
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