Already famous in the Roman age under the name of Balnea
Clusina, the spa town of San Casciano preserved its reputation intact in the
Middle Ages, becoming the destination for rest and restoration of wayfarers
in the vicinity of the nearby Cassia.
The beautiful thermal building, know as the Bath of the Great Portico on account
of its fine travertine arcade, was built in 1607 at the request of Grand Duke
Ferdinand I and was completely renovated and equipped in the 1980s. With its
40 springs and the more than 5 million litres supplied each day, the San Casciano
thermal basin is the first in Italy in terms of flow and the third in Europe.
Only three of the springs are used for the thermal baths: Acqua del Portico,
Ficonella and Santa Lucia; of the others, which are scattered throughout the
surrounding area, some have free access, others are private, whilst others
are located in inaccessible spots. An extremely interesting excursion can
be made to the lovely town of Cetona and to the archaeological-naturalistic
park of Monte Cetona, both just a few kilometres away.
