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The thermal waters of Ischia have been famous since ancient times and are quoted in Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid and also by Plinio and Strabo. Even though the Greeks have been the first to know the powers of the thermal waters, they became famous at the times of Imperial Rome. The romans used many island’s springs to realise many public spa centres. They are rediscovered in the Renaissance thanks to Giulio Jasolino, a Calabrian doctor who published a guide on Ischia’s thermal waters in 1588. Jasolino catalogued the thermal springs of the island and identified their composition and effect on numerous pathologies. This renewed attention is also bound to the Pozzuoli’s Bay earthquake in 1538, which had caused the formation of a hill called Monte Nuovo, changing the thermal basin and reducing the payload of the hot springs. For this reason, Ischia became the principal objective of thermal tourism, which would have included in the future years not only rich people but also the disadvantaged ones.  Ischia’s spa centres started blooming again at the beginning of the 19^th century, after a long period of decay. The thermal baths of Casamicciola were already famous at that time and attended regularly by the major exponents of European aristocracy. Also, Giuseppe Garibaldi spent here a week in the June of 1864. Not even the tremendous earthquake of 1883 was capable of reducing the energies of the island’s inhabitants. The hotel structures and their towns adapted quickly in the 20^th century to the new needs of tourists and so thermal gardens, detox centres and beauty treatments were introduced to attract international tour operators. Angelo Rizzoli, publisher and film producer, is the man behind the highest period of development during the sixties. He enlarged Regina Isabella’s thermal centre and added to it a luxurious hotel complex. Thanks to these kinds of projects, Ischia became one of the favourite destinations for numerous artists, politicians and international jet-set members.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)