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Thermal baths |
San Pellegrino, among thermal baths and sophisticated Art Nouveau style
The most important spa resort in the area, made famous by the sublime quality of its waters, is San Pellegrino Terme. Situated only 25 kilometres from Bergamo, in the midst of mountain scenery in the Brembana Valley, San Pellegrino became a fashionable and very popular resort during the unrepeatable Belle Époque period. Already by the early twentieth century, San Pellegrino Terme was equipped with buildings and services that amazed visitors and helped to spread its fame. The Casino complex dates back to 1904, and has a spectacular entrance, a monumental staircase and very beautiful rooms, including a ballroom. The Spa building alongside, surrounded by gardens, had rooms and porticos in which the abundance of marble, mosaics and splendid windows was accompanied by state-of-the-art spa facilities and services. The colossal Grand Hotel, built in 1905 and with a façade of some 128 metres, overlooks the River Brembo. The art nouveau style was associated with the taste and joy of living of a cosmopolitan society.Stories of luxury, queens and princes.A holiday destination for high society at the beginning of the twentieth century, San Pellegrino offered the best in comfort and luxury. Artists, politicians, entrepreneurs as well as princes and descendents of the various ruling houses came here from all over Europe. The visitors’ book of the Grand Hotel included some of the most grandiose names of the time, including Queen Margherita of Savoy, who was a guest at the beginning of the twentieth century, and later Queen Elena together with Prince Umberto and Princess Maria. The pretext for visiting was the health cures, but the main attraction was the good life, the entertainment and the gaming tables of the Casino. Amid parties, theatre performances, concerts, country walks, coffee and patisseries, the days of elegance and good living passed in a carefree manner. The Casino remained open until 1917, but was then closed, although it continued to be used for shows and performances.
Its waters
Excellent for combating kidney stones, liver and digestive conditions, the waters from the springs of San Pellegrino have been known since the Middle ages, but it was only in the eighteenth century that their therapeutic properties were recognised and exploited. Towards the end of the same century and at the beginning of the twentieth century, the town became a first-class thermal centre. The Great War marked a decline in the baths, but the excellent springs were developed further, and today Sanpellegrino bottled water can be found on tables throughout the world.
The spa of Sant’Omobono Imagna
The thermal resort of Sant’Omobono Imagna, the largest town in the Imagna Valley, is situated in the heart of the Orobie mountains. The properties of its thermal waters were cited for the first time in a monography dated 1772. They are sulphurous waters, which in the last century were considered among the best known at the time. The thermal centre and springs were relaunched when an elegant late nineteenth-century residence, located nearby, was restored. Today this spa with its wellness centre attracts guests in search of relaxation and better health. The area is characterised by interesting Karst phenomena that have given rise to caves of extraordinary beauty, such as the Tomba dei Polacchi (Grave of the Polish) which reveals traces of occupation dating back to the Bronze Age
The spa of Trescore Balneario
The origins of another very well-known thermal centre are even older. The springs of Trescore Balneario, situated in Val Cavallina and an important connection between Bergamo and Lake Iseo, were probably discovered by the Romans, who exploited the therapeutic properties of the sulphurous waters that emerged in the heart of the valley. These springs continued to be used even after the fall of Rome. One of the most illustrious visitors to the hot springs was Bartolomeo Colleoni, the famous condottiero, who reconstructed the thermal baths in the medieval monastery on the old Roman road that linked the Po plain to the lake and the Camonica Valley. In the nineteenth-century it was used by increasing numbers of guests, and this was due in part to the fame it acquired due to the presence of the several well-known personalities, including Giuseppe Garibaldi. The thermal complex, situated in the centre of a vast park, is today visited by people wishing to receive treatment for respiratory system conditions and diseases of the circulatory system and skin. A visit to nearby Chapel of Villa Suardi, frescoed by Lorenzo Lotto, is an absolute must.
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