Taking in the Healing Waters of Italy’s Fiuggi – Day 3 – Part 2

DSCN7545Fiuggi, or the ancient city of Anticoli di Campagna, as it was called at the time, was considered a Roman “castro,” or fortress.  It had towers and defensive walls, which surrounded the town center.  It wasn’t until 1911 that the name of Anticoli was changed to Fiuggi, in honor of the water that emerged from the springs below.  DSCN7546DSCN7548DSCN7549DSCN7550DSCN7554DSCN7551DSCN7555DSCN7559DSCN7560DSCN7561DSCN7563DSCN7565DSCN7569Even though it looks much older, the Town Hall of Fiuggi, with its clock tower, was only built in 1927.  DSCN7573The Town Hall sits on Piazza Trento e Trieste, which is the main piazza of the historical center.  2018-05-05-072626-IMG_1051It began to rain, so we took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat at La Torre.  By the time that we finished our sandwiches, and had a coffee, the rain had stopped, and we headed back out.  DSCN7570DSCN7571DSCN7572Across the piazza from the Town Hall is the lovely Chiesa di Santa Chiara.  The church dates from 1747.  I was particularly fond of the statue group in the front of the church.  The group represents the Faioli Sisters, a religious order who set up the “Conservatory of the Pious Teachers of Anticoli,” a conservatory whose mission was to help to educate the poor girls of the town.  DSCN75762018-05-05-072712-IMG_1055Recently restored, the long shuttered Grand Hotel is now home to the Teatro Comunale, or the Civic Theater.  At one point in time, this hotel was THE place to stay for those traveling to Fiuggi, to partake of the waters.DSCN7580DSCN7581DSCN7583DSCN7584DSCN7586DSCN7582A plaque marks the building that housed the Confraternity of the Sorelle Faioli, which I mentioned above.DSCN7588Corso Sorelle Faioli becomes Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which runs the entire length of the Old Town.  DSCN7590The street is lined with palazzos, some in a state of disrepair, others as good as new — all are beautiful!2018-05-05-075843-IMG_1060DSCN7593DSCN7594DSCN7598DSCN7599DSCN7601It began to rain again, but luckily, we were in front of the Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo, so we ducked inside for a few minutes.  Even though the church is named after Saint Peter, it is actually dedicated to Saint Paul, and dates back to the 1800’s.  2018-05-05-080118-IMG_1064The rain showed no sign of letting up any time soon, so we decided to head back down to Fiuggi Fonte, and the spa at the hotel.  Instead of backtracking, we took Via del Macello — or Street of the Butchers, as this is the street that led to most of the slaughterhouses in the ghetto area, just below.  Like many other older Italian cities, the city of Anticoli had a Jewish ghetto, and traces of it still survive today.2018-05-05-080724-IMG_1065DSCN7613DSCN7617DSCN7618DSCN7622DSCN7626DSCN7628DSCN7629DSCN7632DSCN7633DSCN7635DSCN7636DSCN7638For dinner, we went to a small pizzeria/restaurant near the hotel, where we ended our day with a good local red wine, antipasti, and grilled meats and pasta.  2018-05-04-145101-IMG_10022018-05-04-150547-IMG_10032018-05-04-150612-IMG_1004

 

Next up: We head back up to the Old Town to finish exploring it, and a visit to the source of the wonderful Acqua di Fiuggi!

 

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Fiuggi, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!

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