Terme Tamerici

The Tamerici thermal establishment in Montecatini Terme is known for its polychrome ceramics by Galileo Chini. Built between 1909 and 1911, it combines an ornate pavilion with a garden setting in the town's spa district.

Why it matters

The Tamerici reflects Montecatini's development as a spa town and the decorative arts of the early twentieth century. Its ceramic ensemble is one of the significant surviving works by Chini in its original architectural setting.

What to notice

In the dispensing hall, glazed panels show putti among flowers, with openings through which thermal water was once dispensed. Ceramic lion heads mark the counters. The building's exterior mixes architectural references from Arab, Spanish, Renaissance, medieval, Moorish and Byzantine traditions. Garden furnishings include objects associated with Gabriele d'Annunzio's Villa La Capponcina and a miniature of Mario Rutelli's Fountain of the Naiads.

Context and history

A spring was discovered here in 1843, and the water and salts were later commercially exploited. The Società Nuove Terme acquired the establishment in 1902 and commissioned architects Giulio Bernardini and Ugo Giusti in 1906. Galileo Chini decorated the rebuilt pavilion, completed in 1911. The Tamerici forms part of Montecatini Terme's UNESCO-listed spa landscape.