History of Longoio and Bagni di Lucca

BATHS OF LUCCA

Monuments in the town and villages in its territory

Bridge of chains. This bridge, was commissioned in 1840 by Charles Ludovico by the architect Lorenzo Nottolini, because its predecssor had been destroyed by a flood. The work was finished in 1860. The floor of the bridge, used until recently also by cars, was reconstructed in the fifties, because it had been destroyed by the Germans during the war.

The hospital and the Demidoff temple. The two buildings were built between 1826 and 1828, by the Russian prince Nicolaj Demidoff who stayed here to benefit from the thermal cures. The adjoining hospital, with a bridge to the Neoclassic temple, ceased working as such at the beginning of 1900. Today it is the center of the “Global Village” which deals with alternative medicine.

The thermal baths. Already in Roman times the waters of Baths of Lucca were well-known, but it is from a dated parchment dated 3 April1291, that the rise of the baths began. This documents places this thermal town among the most ancient of Europe. The bathing  establishments, very popular during the Renaissance, developed considerably during the 800’s, thanks to the intervention of Elisa Baciocchi, sister of Napoleon I. During the “Belle Epoque” and the first part of the ‘900's Pascoli,Carducci, Dumas, Byron, Shelley, Puccini, Mascagni and many other notables were among the guests of the thermal baths.

The thermal establishments of Baths of Lucca, consist of 19 sources of sulfate-calcite natural waters with average temperatures of 54°. It is possible have mud baths, steam baths in special natural caves, inhalations and other health treatments. 

(to be continued)

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