Terme Excelsior
Montecatini's Excelsior is a thermal establishment housed in a building originally intended to serve as a casino.
Why it matters
The Excelsior reflects Montecatini's transformation from a resort centred on leisure and entertainment to one focused on medical spa care. Its history is part of the town's twentieth-century development and of the thermal landscape recognised by UNESCO.
What to notice
The building stands among the monumental early twentieth-century establishments along Viale Verdi. Its design belongs to Montecatini's 1904–1915 building campaign and combines the scale of a social venue with the later function of a thermal facility.
Context and history
The Excelsior was built between 1904 and 1915 and was originally intended to house a casino, though that function did not materialise. After the state reclaimed the spas in 1958, the building was adapted for medical treatments. It is included among the historic establishments of Montecatini Terme, part of the UNESCO-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe.