A Roman bath at Bernabo Spa

Bernabo Spa or Bagno Bernabo, in Ponte a Serraglio has a fabulous Roman bath, among other things. I tried  other things on a previous visit, but thought it was time I tried the walk in bath.

The marble bath is filled with warm thermal spring water. Walk in and settle on the seating shelf, lie back and drift off into peaceful relaxation. It is the perfect antidote to a busy life.

I followed the deep water bath with a hot stone massage. It was wonderful and I floated off down the hill to my apartment and felt calm and relaxed for the rest of the day.

There are also smaller marble baths and lots of different treatments.

The spa has a long history. It was named after a Florentine man named Bernabo. He arrived in Bagni di Lucca in the first half of the 16th century and was healed from a serious skin ailment after bathing in the mud of the spa. Fast forward to 1810 when Napoleon’s sister Elisa Baciocchi built the current establishment. It looks much the same today as it did then. It was restored on 2006, brought back to life for lucky local residents and visitors to Bagni di Lucca.

http://www.termebagnobernabo.it

The Bagno Bernabo is open Monday to Sunday 9.00 – 18.00

Via Bagni Caldi 36, Ponte a Serraglio…It is a short, uphill walk from Bar Italia. There are a few parking spots if you have a car.

phone +39 331 171 9014 for information and appointments.

info@termebagnobernabo.it

Bagni di Lucca votes for a new mayor

Yesterday, 6th May, and today the people of Bagni di Lucca have been voting for their new Sindaco (mayor). I can’t vote, but I walked up to our nearest polling station the see what was going on. Sezione No 3 is at the Bagno Bernabo.

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The view of Ponte a Serraglio is just gorgeous, especially on a glorious sunny day, like today.

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The lovely old spa has been restored recently and we are still waiting to see it open. I went inside, but only a couple of rooms were open.

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One of the local carabinieri was on hand to watch over the proceedings.

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The electoral lists.

Voting finishes today. I wonder who will win.

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I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.

UPDATE…….

Massimo Betti, the handsome fellow in the first photo is our new mayor. He is from Bagni di Lucca and has a pharmacy in La Villa. He is a well known and respected business man who knows and loves Bagni di Lucca. Let’s hope he can bring some positive changes to the villages.