as it is testified by treatises from past authors as well as by contemporary studies. Archaeological remains also confirm this theory, but the lack of research in this field so far, makes more important the memories of our ancestors. Like other thermal resorts San Casciano had to face a period of decline in the early Middle Ages, suffering a big decrease in population and in extension. However, unlike other resorts, San Casciano conserved its identity, some important remains of the old thermal structures and the memory of the use of hot springs, as it can be deduced from the fact that we can find the placename “ad balneo” on documents from the 10th century. As a consequence of this, San Casciano had an outstanding place in Italy during the 13th century, when there was a restarting of the habit of taking thermal treatments. Ugolino from Montecatini in his work “Tractatus de balneis” (1417) dedicated a big space to “the many springs of San Casciano”. The law about sources and springs from 1590 shows San Casciano and San Filippo as the main spas in the state of Siena and it is suggested that they should be visited three times a year (the other ones could be visited just twice). The real recovery of San Casciano’s spa happened during the 17th and the 18th century, when the Italian and European nobility visited the resort. The eminent guests used to find accommodation in San Casciano inhabitants’ houses and used to stay for at least two weeks, as this was the suitable minimum time for treatments, following the therapeutic uses of the times. During the 19th century there was a big renewal in France and in Germany as regards thermal structures, it was the time of big self-sufficient structures including all kind of comfort and adapted to the rising industrial middle classes. San Casciano was not able to conform its structures to these levels and was soon left out from the main Italian spas.

In 1583 Schiavetti wrote about it: ... These waters are really wonderful and so famous that people beyond the mountains come, and I dare say that if these waters would be run as they are worth, one could say that neither in Italy, nor probably in all Europe, would it be possible to find similar waters. This spring, together with Santa Maria and San Giorgio springs is part of the biggest structure in San Casciano and was enriched by the Grand Duchy Ferdinando I that commissioned the building of the porch that still decorates the structure.

of its water springing with thousands of jets and its bubbles coming to the surface. It is a spring of clear and limpid water that is extremely hot, as one can easily feel by the touch, which is the most important judge of qualities. (Ghezzi, 1617). As the name indicates it is the most abundant of the 43 springs belonging to the thermal resort. Until the half of the 19th century it was decorated by a beautiful porch and had proper rooms where a large number of therapies connected to the many properties of waters could be practised. Water fell into the basin from the mouths of two lion heads carved on one of the walls.

times and it is near the “Bagno Grande”. It has the warmest water in San Casciano; Ghezzi says about it ... it is a liquid that can be called “angelic” from any side you may consider it. It is still decorated by its porch, but the Apollo statue from which water used to fall has disappeared. The main property of this water was the treatment of burns: if one immerged the burned skin, the effectiveness of the spring was so high that there was no scar left.

in San Casciano. Complicated showers were practised on various parts of the body inside these structures. Before having showers patients had to shave their hair off to put some special powders directly on their heads. Applications lasted differently as they finished when patients felt some warmth inside their heads. As the treatment went on water felt stronger and stronger: the height from where water felt was raised, because the effectiveness of the treatment was proportional to the strength of the water beating on heads.