San Filippo
Located 40 minutes south-east of Siena, between the volcanic peaks of Mount Amiata, the highest mountain in Tuscany, and the deeply wooded Orcia valley, San Filippo takes its name from the Florentine hermit who retreated here in the 13th century. It is also known for its five hot springs, which gurgle out of the ground at 52C and are rich in sulphur, calcium, magnesium and sulphur bicarbonate, believed to be good for skin conditions, respiratory disorders and joint and bone problems. On the approach to the town a small wooden bridge on the right leads into the woods to a bucolic scene of fluttering butterflies, buzzing dragonflies and frogs hopping into the green water filling the pools that the river flows into. Most stunning of all is the Fosso Bianco – a series of
calcareous rock formations that hang over the water in a series of stalactites. The water used to pour down here – though it has now been diverted to the spa in the town. But follow the path through dappled daylight and you come to pool after pool under waterfalls of opaquely white water, set below the spa above, from where the water gushes down. San Filippo’s milky mineral water flows through the pools and along the river, banked by bamboo, for miles.
Saturnia
Italy’s best-known hot spring is at Saturnia in the wild Maremma area of southern Tuscany, about an hour south of Siena. It is a dramatic landscape of thickly wooded hills and valleys, olive groves, rows of vines and acres of wheat fields, the horizon riveted by cypresses.
Legend has it that the Roman god of the harvest, Saturn, lost his temper with war- hungry men and sent a lightning bolt that split the earth. Hot sulphuric water flowed from the rift over the people, calming them down. The main falls are easy to find: not far from the town’s main spa, a dirt track brings you to a field where you can park and change before heading down to the springs – a series of rock pools that have been turned white by the minerals in the water, which falls in a succession of cascades into the pools.
The water is about 37C and instantly relaxes the body, releasing aches and pains. The minerals here are sulphur, calcium and carbon, good for skin conditions and aching joints. When it gets too hot, there is the river Albegna alongside to dip into to cool down.
