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The spring of Nitrodi is located in the municipality of Barano d’Ischia. It lies 300 metres above the sea level on a gorge dug by the water power, which ends in the rain-fed valley of the Olmitello spring.
The water flows abundantly and continuously from granite rocks at a temperature of about 27°C. The spring has been famous since the times of ancient Rome, because of the healing qualities of its waters classified between low and middle mineralized. There was a small sanctuary near the spring, which was dedicated to Apollo and the nymphs (Nitrodi) keepers of the spring and quoted in all the Greek-Latin texts from Homer on out. Nowadays, the historical and archaeological documentation of the spring is safe-guarded in the Archaeological Museum of Naples. It is formed by a series of votive tablets discovered by local farmers in 1759- They were written by patients and doctors and dedicated to the god of the nymphs as signs of gratitude for the recovery.
The water of this spring results efficient in healing pathologies related to the skin (eczemas, acne, neurodermatitis), ulcers caused by the apparition of ulcers caused by varicose veins and useful in curing burnings, lesions, fistulas, furuncles and wounds. People can benefit of the healing qualities of the waters also by drinking them, since they have detox, diuretic and digestive properties. These therapeutic characteristics have been recognised by the Ministry of Public Health in 2003.
A small thermal centre with showers, solariums, fountains and changing rooms has been built near the mouth of the spring. It is located in a park characterised by a landscape with differences in altitude and tuff jumps with the typical vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub, together with broom trees, Pistacia lentiscus, laurels (Laurus nobilis), Ipomoea spp., honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.), acanthus (Acanthus mollis). The park offers an aromatherapeutic path with aromatic and officinal plants like Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Lavandula officinalis, Thymus vulgaris, Myrtus communis, which allow to stimulate the entire organism, the vascular and respiratory system and the immune system.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)