Situation
Montecatini Terme, one of Europe's leading spas, lies in northwestern Tuscany, some 30km/20mi east of Lucca and 15km/9mi west of Pistoia.
History
The healing power of the springs of Montecatini appears to have been recognized in ancient times, for the
Terme Leopoldine have yielded Roman figurines which have been interpreted as votive offerings. In his book on Italian spas (1417) the 15th century doctor Ugolino Simoni mentions Montecatini, referring to three bathing establishments which were then in existence. Under the Médici, who added Montecatini to their private estates in 1583, the importance of the spa declined, and it began to recover only in the latter part of the 18th century Grand Duke Leopold I (later Emperor Leopold II) was mainly responsible for the modernization of the town and the construction of the various establishments - the Stabilimento Regina, the Terme Leopoldine, the Stabilimento Tettuccio, the Palazzina Regia. The development of the spa continued when it became the property of the Benedictines of the Badía di Firenze. Montecatini is now the largest spa in Italy; its waters (temperature 19-25°C/66-77°F; 2,592cu.m/3,391cu.yd daily) are recommended particularly for the treatment of disorders of the liver and gall bladder and diseases of the stomach and intestines.
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