Bagni di Triponzo

Bagni di Triponzo is a historic thermal site on the Nera below Cerreto di Spoleto. Roman baths, a medieval hospital and the 1887 Bagni Vecchi building record successive uses of the sulphurous springs.

Why it matters

The springs emerge along the right bank of the Nera, about three kilometres from Triponzo. A Roman thermal complex first made use of the waters. Historical records trace their later use, including a purchase by Norcia in 1488 and a subsequent donation to the Comune di Cerreto. The porticoed Bagni Vecchi were built in 1887 and served until the mid-twentieth century.

What to notice

The thermal water emerges through geological formations rich in evaporites, then cools as it passes through limestone and mixes with colder bicarbonate water. The regional tourism page records eighteen springs with an average temperature of about thirty degrees and a sulphurous, calcium-rich composition. The 1887 building stands above the Roman structure; old basins preserve the site's history as a place of bathing.

Context and history

Municipal records describe the springs and Roman thermal complex. In 1488 the municipality of Norcia bought the baths for 151 gold florins; they later passed to Pasquale Forti and the Bishop of Norcia, who donated them to the Comune di Cerreto. The Bagni Vecchi were built in 1887 over the ancient Roman works. After more than thirty years of closure, the site was restored and reopened, continuing a long history of use of the springs.