Acireale’s thermal centre – tradition of well-being

The Thermal centre of Acireale has remote origin. First called Xiphonia it controlled and exploited the sulphur water derives from the Mount Etna.
Afterwards the Roman has built a thermal system in S.Venera al Pozzo, which still exist and has became an element of archaeological interest. During the Middle Age was considered that the thermal centre had miraculous proprieties. They believed that the blood of its patron saint, Santa Venera martyred in that place in the second century after Christ gave delightfully power to the water. In the 1873 thanks to the far-sighted of the rich Baron Agostino Pennisi di Floristella, was built the establishment of S.Venera with a park and the Grand Hotel “Des Bain”.
So Acireale with its thermal centre has became very famous and many important personage used to visit it often, like Richard Wagner, Ernest Renan (author of Jesus’ life) the King Umberto I, Queen Margarita, and a famous professor of medicine Cardarelli etc.
In the 1987 a new establishment was built in Santa Caterina close to Acireale, with modern equipment for special treatment and therapy. The medical point of view has considered therapeutically means the sulphur and salty water used in the thermal centre. The mud utilised (thriving-mineral) is obtained by volcano-mud let to ripen for three years in sulphur water (increased by micro-flora lying on the surface) which derives from the Greek-Roman source of S. Venera al Pozzo.


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