An oasis of natural well-being in Val d’Orcia
Bagni San Filippo is a fraction of the municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia, in the province of Siena and is located within the “Val d’Orcia Natural Artistic and Cultural Park”, as well as on the slopes of Mount Amiata, in an area of great interest landscaped and naturalistic, just 30 minutes from our hotel.
Historically known for its healing waters, Bagni San Filippo has a free thermal area, called “Fosso Bianco”, where the hot water of the thermal springs flows from the ground at a temperature of about 48 ° C and meets with the cold one of the river which it crosses the wood, giving rise to innumerable “pools” where it is possible to swim all year round. The white-blue color of the water contrasts with the green of the vegetation, creating a truly fascinating atmosphere, where you can also admire the particular limestone formations, among which the best known and most evocative is called “The White Whale”. The amount of water that flows and descends from the White Whale changes very often, which is why its appearance and colors continuously offer a new and different spectacle. During the winter, in fact, the white assumes reddish brown or greenish streaks as the thermal waters mix with the rainwater that contains organic material.
At the bottom of the pools, there is a rich deposit of thermal mud, perfect for soothing and purifying masks for the skin of the face and body … a real natural wellness treatment for free!
The only note to keep in mind, is the inevitable sulfur smell given by the sulphurous water. To avoid it, here is a little advice: once you get near the White Whale, you can go to the right, where the residents of the area have created other pools by collecting water from the waterfalls, where you can relax and enjoy the thermal waters without their characteristic sulfur smell.
Curiosity and Famous Guests
The name of the village derives from the church dedicated to San Filippo Benizi, which, it is said, stopped here in hermitage in 1269 to escape the hypothesis of being elected pope after Clement IV, but the area was already known at the time of Etruscans and Romans, frequent visitors to thermal areas for healing purposes. The Bagni San Filippo were renovated in 1566 by Cosimo I de ‘Medici and over time they were frequented by illustrious personalities belonging to the Medici family, such as Lorenzo the Magnificent, and the Grand Duke Ferdinando II, who tried here to free himself from a persistent “mal di capo” (headache).
