Acque Sante Thermal Baths
The healing potential of thermal waters, known as “Antiche Acque Sante”, were well known since ancient times, seeing that they were used by the ancient city of Locri Epizephiri.
The ancient Locrians made the waters in their city of Magna-Grecia flow through an aqueduct built along the bank of the river of Gerace.
Due to their location and their known historical events, they were attributed to Locri Epizephiri, and later on to Gerace, Gerace and Antonimina and finally to Antonimina and Locri.
Even Pliny, for whom Locri was “The door of Italy” made mention of the thermal waters of the ancient city. The great therapeutic efficacy of these waters was therefore very renowned among the ancients, who wrote about it for a long time: in the XVI century the historian Gabriele Barrio, in the volume “Antiquitate et situ Calabrie” mentions it as it follows: “This city (Gerace) is rich in excellent sources of suplhurous waters and sauces, useful for many diseases and in particular to treat the sterility of women”.
Prof. Geraci of Reggio Calabria has described the Terme di Antonimina-Locri in one of his treatise as: “Star of Magna Grecia”.
The thermal waters have also been mentioned by many other scholars, historians and doctors including dr. Accorinti, who in 1830, on behalf of the Intendant of the Province, studied the thermal waters about which he said: “In the months of June, July and August of each year the individuals of the whole Province and others, despite the location being outdoor, without any asylum or shelter, go to crowd and draw perfect healing or maximum relief, by throwing themselves into such healthy waters. For these reasons, they deserve the name of Holy Waters”.
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The "Holy Waters"
The waters, known as ‘Holy Water of Locri’ were known in ancient times. They are classified as thermo-mineral, isotonic, slightly sulphurous, salso-sulfatoalcaline with traces of iodine waters (Authorisations Ministry of Health n° 2724 of 06/05/1991 and no 2813 of 29/09/1992).
The water constantly flows at 36 degrees and is bacteriologically pure. It is subjected to periodic bacteriological tests and to physical and chemical examinations at the Institute of Hygiene of the University of Messina.
The biological properties of these waters are those typical of chlorinated-sulphate-alkaline waters with traces of iodine, which are isotonic and slightly hypotonic. Treatments for hydropinic use are being authorized, which will allow to benefit from cathartic, laxatives, cholagogues, choleretics, cholecystocinetics and stimulant effects of various degrees (depending on the concentration of the water used). They are used for baths, mud and for transmucosal treatments and they have a resolving, cleansing and stimulating of the organic defenses and of an overall renewal beneficial action, thus finding indication in the aftereffects of chronic inflammatory processes of any origin (FEDERICI).
