Saturnia () is a spa town in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' of the ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Manciano Manciano is a town and ''comune'' in the southern part of the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, central Italy. It has a population of about 7,200. Manciano is southwest of Pitigliano and northeast of Orbetello. History Manciano was once a fairl ...

, in the

province of Grosseto The province of Grosseto ( it, links=no, provincia di Grosseto) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto. As of 2013 the province had a total population of 225,098 people. Geography The Province of Gros ...

. Famous for the spa which gives it its name, its population is 280.

Geography

It lies about from Manciano, from Grosseto, northeast of

Orbetello Orbetello is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Grosseto (Tuscany), Italy. It is located about south of Grosseto, on the eponymous lagoon, which is home to an important Natural Reserve. History Orbetello was an ancient Etruscan settlemen ...

and the coast and from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Near the village, 800 L/s of sulphurous water at 37 °C gushes over a waterfall and down into a cascade of natural pools formed by the deposition of calcareous rock from evaporation of the water.

History

Saturnia, which until 30BC was known as ''Aurinia'', takes its name from the Roman god Saturn (or Saturnus). Legend has it that he grew tired of the constant wars of humans, and sent a thunderbolt to earth that created a magic spring of warm sulphurous water which would pacify mankind.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary sty ...

lists Saturnia as one of the towns first occupied by the

Pelasgi The name Pelasgians ( grc, Πελασγοί, ''Pelasgoí'', singular: Πελασγός, ''Pelasgós'') was used by Classical Greece, classical Greek writers to refer either to the predecessors of the Greeks, or to all the inhabitants of Greece b ...

and then by the

Etruscan civilization The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roughl ...

. A

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

colony arrived in 183 BC, but little is known about it other than the fact that it was a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

. There are still remains of the city walls, in the

polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...

al style, which contain Roman gateways. Roman remains have also been discovered within the town, and remains of

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a :wikt:repository, repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be ...

s outside. These tombs were originally covered by tumuli, which have now disappeared, so that George Dennis, author of ''Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria'', mistook them for

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

ic remains. In 1300, Saturnia became the hideout of outlaws and was razed to the ground by the

Sienese Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

. Forgotten for several centuries, Saturnia was rediscovered in the late 19th century when the land around the spring was drained and a spa built. Thousands of visitors come to bathe in the waters to this day.

Main sights

Church of Santa Maria Maddalena

Saturnia, chiesa di santa maria maddalena 00

The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena is the main church in Saturnia. The earliest historical records related to the church date back to 1188, but the current building is due to a restoration of 1933. The church holds the famous Madonna and Child fresco attributed to Benvenuto di Giovanni at the end of the 15th century.

''Terme di Saturnia''

Other sights

*''Rocca

Aldobrandesca Aldobrandesca (also known as Aldo, Alda, Aude, Blanca, and Bruna) (1249, Siena, Italy – 1309) was an Italian saint, mystic, and nurse. When Aldobrandesca was a young woman, her parents arranged a marriage for her, which she reluctantly agreed ...

'' *Saturnia Walls (''Mura di Saturnia'') *Roman Gate (''Porta Romana'') *Archaeological museum

Gallery

Image:Saturnia hot stream in June 2004.jpg, Saturnia hot stream Image:Saturnia piazza.JPG, Village square Image:Via Clodia a Saturnia.jpg, Roman gate on the Via Clodia File:Cascate del Gorello a Saturnia.jpg, Gorello waterfall

References

External links

* https://adashoflife.org/saturnia-tuscan-hot-springs/
Terme di Saturnia official site
{{authority control Etruscan cities Frazioni of Manciano Spa towns in Italy