Montecatini Terme
A spa town of marble drinking halls, where the water was taken by the glass rather than bathed in.
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The springs were developed under Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo in the 1770s and the town was rebuilt in the early twentieth century in a grand Liberty and neoclassical manner, with the Tettuccio establishment of 1928 as its centrepiece: a colonnaded hall with marble counters where different waters were dispensed by name, ceramic panels, painted ceilings and gardens. The waters here were drunk on prescription for digestive complaints rather than bathed in, which is why the buildings are halls rather than pools. Montecatini was included in the UNESCO listing of Great Spa Towns of Europe in 2021. A funicular climbs to the old hill village of Montecatini Alto.
What you actually see
- The Tettuccio - a marble drinking hall with painted ceilings and gardens.
- The Liberty architecture - early twentieth-century spa buildings in a park.
- The funicular - a 1898 line climbing to the old hill village.
- The UNESCO listing - one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.
When to go
April to October; the drinking halls operate seasonally and some open only in the warmer months. Concerts are held in the park in summer.
Honest expectations
Several historic establishments are closed or only partly restored, and opening varies year to year. The modern town is ordinary. Treatments are separately priced.
Nearby
Pistoia lies east; Lucca is west.
What to pack for Montecatini Terme
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.