During my maternity leave Eleonora and I had some relax at the “terme” of Casciana Terme near Pisa, my mother come along with me, what a perfect woman family reunion.
Driving to Casciana we stopped in Pisa (for more info you can visit http://www.turismo.pisa.it/en/) and visited the famous Piazza del Duomo, where in a short distance is condensed the history.
“The square of the Duomo of Pisa – dominated by the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Bell Tower and Graveyard (the Campo Santo) – represents an architectural whole characterized by a really surprising stylistic accordance, to the point of having been compared by Le Corbousier to the acropolis of Athens. The choice of materials, with an almost absolute supremacy of the white marble, and the constant presence of blind arches at the base and practicable small loggias in the upper orders lead to the thought of single project, almost the expression of the group of artists that works well together in the same building site in a relatively short lapse of time. Still, this is the result of long process that saw various architects, sculptors and painters taking turns, in the space of more than three centuries, and among them some leading personalities who have marked their epoch.
Each visitor entering this space is rapt in the sudden vision of the four monuments, a vision that looks ‘miraculous’, quoting the fortunate definition coined by D’Annunzio. The buildings seem to spring up from a wide regular lawn, which however dates back to the XIX century, when the square was redesigned in neo-medieval slant, clearing it from many more or less poor buildings and from the vegetable gardens that were still tended there. Also because of these uses, the one of Pisa has no comparison with other medieval squares of the cathedral that, see the structure of the city radiating from them.”. (L. Carletti, C. Giometti, A guide to the Duomo Square of Pisa, Pacini Editore, Pisa 2006.)
Arrived in Casciana Terme in the afternoon we checked our treatments. I had SPA treatments in the morning and my mother had in the afternoon while I was relaxing with Eleonora in the swimming pool.
I discovered this SPA years ago and for years this was my secret place, I used to stay here every year on my own to relax, enjoy professional SPA treatments, and loving food.
Italy luckily enough it’s full of thermal towns, I tried a lot of them, and I found that Casciana even if it’s quite spartan became sooner one of my favorites, as it’s not so famous, it’s not so crowdie even during high season periods, it’s not so expensive but provides high quality treatments in rooms clean and modern.
The SPA has also fabulous internal and external swimming pools with thermal water I would suggest to visit this location in early summer, to enjoy the outdoor swimming pools and the park. The external swimming pools are large with play of waters, the temperature of the water is warm but trust me you will not be disturbed because of that even in the summer time. The swimming pool is open late in the evening which can be a very romantic idea. The personnel at the SPA is very professional, and all the treatments are done by a well prepared staff.
Casciana Terme is small but you can feel at home here and you can really relax, reading a book under a tree or having a coffee at the caffe teatro of the terme. However if you want to visit the surroundings you have plenty of choice in only one day you can visit Pisa with its amazing Tower or you can spend a day in Pisa Lido and enjoy sea and beaches over there.
If you want to have a more personalized suggestion just wrote me at: