Fonte Anticolana

Where the Bonifacio spring sits tucked in woods, its twin opens into gardens: Fonte Anticolana — known locally as Fonte Nova — spreads lakes, bridges and sequoia shade around Fiuggi's second cure establishment, the afternoon counterpart of the morning ritual performed at the older spring downhill.

Why it matters

Fiuggi's historic spa culture developed around two springs drawing the same water. The Anticolana was conceived as a landscaped setting, in contrast to the chestnut woodland around the Bonifacio spring. The two springs draw oligomineral water filtered through the permeable layers of the Fiuggi basin. The name keeps the town's older identity alive: Anticolana refers to Anticoli di Campagna, the medieval name of Fiuggi retained in the Valle Anticolana.

What to notice

Fonte Anticolana is arranged as a landscaped park, with sequoias, mature chestnuts, small bridges, lakes and flowerbeds. Its grounds also include sports and recreation facilities.

Context and history

The spring was known in Roman times as Fons Arilla, and remains of Roman roads have been found near the outcrops. Its water was associated with Boniface VIII in the late Middle Ages and with Michelangelo, whose 1549 letters describe a period of drinking it. Historical records also document the transport of Fiuggi water to Rome. When the modern spa organisation grew into two establishments, the newer one took the antiquarian name — the valley of the Anticolani — while the operator today, Acqua e Terme di Fiuggi S.p.A., calls it simply Fonte Nova, the new spring. In the twentieth century, both establishments were organised as separate spa parks.