"IT'S an
inferno in here," yelled a middle-aged woman as she plunged into a
foul-smelling hot spring in central Italy.
She wasn't the first to compare these scorching sulfur baths to Hell. In Canto
XIV of "Inferno," Dante wanders past a pool oozing with boiling red water
and is reminded of these thermal spas about an hour north of Rome
"whose waters are shared with prostitutes."
In truth, Bulicame
is actually far from Hell. Situated on the outskirts of the Viterbo " a provincial capital where popes once took refuge "
the Bulicame sulfur springs bob with pleasure seekers
whose only sins may be self-indulgence and a proclivity for smelling like
rotten egg.
The countryside
around Viterbo is studded with Roman ruins and
sprinkled with these so-called wild spas: natural springs that bubble up from
the ground and spill into artificial basins in the middle of fields. In most
cases, there are no entrance fees, no towel services and no changing rooms. The
only things you need are a car and a little geography lesson.
Of the half-dozen
wild spas in the region, the best known may be Bulicame,
but it's not the most popular. Several are closely guarded secrets, which is
why I was glad to be sitting across from Giovanni Faperdue
in the Gran Caffh Schenardi
in Viterbo (Corso Italia,
11; 39-0761-345-860; www.caffeschenardi.com), a gilded high-ceiling
19th-century cafe in the city's historic center. Mr. Faperdue,
a journalist for the local newspaper and the author of six books on Viterbo's history (including one about the sulfur springs),
is passionate about the city's mineral-water-rich landscape.
In a sense,
the springs like Bulicame are volcanoes of
water," he said, referring to the former volcanic craters that serve as
the steamy water's source. "In ancient times, the spas in
The Romans built
huge complexes around the springs. Bulicame may be
the easiest to find, just off the main road as you head toward the town of
Couples arrived carrying slippers, bathrobes and water bottles
across a field. Perhaps it was my bare feet and boxer shorts that pegged me as
a novice, but as I stood on the sidelines wondering which of the four pools I should dip into first, someone in the largest,
swimming-pool-size bath offered a tip: "The smaller pools nearest the
source are the warmest."
I glanced at a
bigger pool, where a man in skimpy bathing trunks was smearing greenish mud
across his face and flipping water onto his enormous belly. I walked to a
smaller pool, dangled my toe in the steaming hot water and plunged in.
After an hourlong soak " my skin
smooth and soft, my mind at ease " I understood the addiction. The
sulfurous water gushing from the ground around Viterbo
is said to be therapeutic. The locals say it's particularly good for the skin,
the respiratory system and aching bones. The Etruscans and Romans also believed
in its curative properties. And after several popes in the Middle
Ages were believed to have been cured of chronic back pain after a dip, Viterbo's baths became a near-obligatory stop for travelers
on the
Although the
region's numerous sulfur springs draw from a single water source, each spa has
its own personality and devotees. Another popular wild spa is Bagnaccio,
which sits at the end of a long gravel road a few miles from Bulicame. This three-basin spa is known for its lively
social scene, which, for the uninitiated, is a lot like crashing a private pool
party. You see the same people every day," said one of the chatty
regulars sitting in chest-high water. "It's like the coffee bar in the
morning, but we happen to be sitting in smelly water."
Le Pozze di San Sisto, about five
miles south of Viterbo, may be the plushest, thanks
to its civic-minded bathers. And Terme dei Papi
is the most commercial, with its campuslike
structures and spa product line.
The thermal baths
around Viterbo weren't always so inviting. Until a
few years ago, the pools were littered with trash. Taking advantage of the
parasite-killing sulfurous water, farmers would bring their livestock for a
dip, sometimes even lowering horses or sheep into the pool as people were
bathing.
That began to
change after Mr. Faperdue wrote a series of articles
about the spas for the local newspaper. "It caused quite a scandal,"
he said. Local residents, unaware of the state of the spas, were outraged. A
volunteer force sprang up to police the springs.
At Bagnaccio, regular bathers now pay voluntary annual dues of
12 to 18 euros (about $16.60 to $25 at $1.38 to the euro)
to keep the pools clean. Le Pozze di San Sisto went a step further: it became a members-only
cultural association (annual dues of 15 euros, plus a 10-euro initiation fee).
Unlike Bagnaccio, San Sisto
checks for memberships at the door, which may explain why it
may be the cleanest and most family-friendly of the wild spas.
I liked the
spa so much, I bought a house nearby just to be close to it," said Mario Bracci, a resident of
For spagoers seeking even more amenities, Terme
dei Papi, or Baths of the
Popes, a few miles west of Viterbo's historical
center, offers up-market comforts in exchange for a more sterile atmosphere. Terme dei Papi
now charges 10 euros to float in its sleek 100,000-square-foot pool. Much of
the original medieval architecture has been replaced
by charmless structures where Swedish massages and
mud baths are administered by stern women in medical garb.
That may explain
why spas like Bulicame seem to hold more appeal for
the locals. In addition to being free, its commercial-free atmosphere and
ancient Roman ruins infuse the bath with history. Besides, Dante's journey
through Inferno" and Bulicame eventually
led him to "Paradiso."
IF
YOU GO
GETTING
THERE
Viterbo is about 50 miles north
of Rome.
The two-hour train ride from
SPAS
Bulicame (corner of Strada Provinciale Tuscanese and Strada delle Terme): A 10-minute drive from Viterbo's
historical center, it has four baths of varying degrees and a smattering of
Roman ruins. Free.
Bagnaccio (from the S2 Cassia
north, take the S7 toward Marta and turn left at Via del Garinei,
a gravel road): A members-only bath, it has three pools that attract chatty and
friendly regulars.
Le Pozze di San Sisto (Cassia south,
toward Vetralla; 39-3286-893-884; www.lepozzedisansisto.org):
About five miles south of Viterbo, its natural
landscape and plush amenities brings spa lovers from all over the area.
Terme dei
Papi (Strada Bagni 12, 39-0761-3501, www.termedeipapi.it): A mile
or so from Viterbo, this famed spa is the most
commercial of the bunch.
HOTELS
The Hotel Niccolo V at Terme dei Papi (Strada
Bagni 12, 39-0761-350-555, www.termedeipapi.it)
has 23 spacious rooms, some overlooking the thermal pool, starting at 120
euros.