Over on Tuscany Villas, we have covered the famous bath and spa towns of Tuscany pretty extensively. The region is home to a rather surprising number of beautiful towns that boast naturally-occurring thermal springs and around these long-standing tourist attractions large-scale wellness and spa industries have developed, making said towns the perfect place to head to if you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are looking to unwind and pamper yourself. However, while there are plenty of pretty spa towns with great resources to choose from, if you are looking for something less picturesque and more cinematic, if you are looking for something more unique, then we recommend heading to Larderello and the Valle del Diavolo, or the, “Devil's Valley.”
Located in Pomarance, a hilltop medieval town that is situated between Volterra and Massa Marittima, Larderello has been famous for, and attracting visitors to, its hot springs and its rather unique volcanic nature since the time of the Ancient Romans. If you have found a vacation rental in Volterra or a vacation rental in Massa Marittima and you're looking to get off the regular tourist routes to find something a little more special, then we definitely suggest a visit to Larderello. Do keep in mind, however, that it really is a unique place in Tuscany and does not look at all like the Tuscany that most imagine: in place of rolling green hillscapes and historic little villages, you will be confronted with bubbling, steaming lunar landscapes more akin to the scenery one might imagine in Hell and a modernised town where the harnessing of geothermal energy is the primary industry and the five giant cement towers of a thermal plant dominate the skyline.
Located in Pomarance, a hilltop medieval town that is situated between Volterra and Massa Marittima, Larderello has been famous for, and attracting visitors to, its hot springs and its rather unique volcanic nature since the time of the Ancient Romans. If you have found a vacation rental in Volterra or a vacation rental in Massa Marittima and you're looking to get off the regular tourist routes to find something a little more special, then we definitely suggest a visit to Larderello. Do keep in mind, however, that it really is a unique place in Tuscany and does not look at all like the Tuscany that most imagine: in place of rolling green hillscapes and historic little villages, you will be confronted with bubbling, steaming lunar landscapes more akin to the scenery one might imagine in Hell and a modernised town where the harnessing of geothermal energy is the primary industry and the five giant cement towers of a thermal plant dominate the skyline.
As noted, the sulphuric nature of the springs at Larderello were known and sought out since at least the Roman period and continued to draw visitors through to the present day. Then, during the 18th and 19th century, the waters were used to extract boric acid. 1904 saw the beginning of pioneering research in, and applications of, geothermal energy production with an experiment that lit light bulbs by electricity powered by steam emerging from vents in the ground. This was the first ever practical demonstration of geothermal power. In 1911, the world's first geothermal power plant was built in the Valle del Diavolo, harnessing its special geology that makes it uniquely conducive to geothermal power production. It remained the only industrial geothermal electrical plant in the world until one was built in New Zealand 1958 and, to this day, Larderello remains the producer of 10 percent of the world’s geothermal electricity supply. If you are interested in learning more about the town and the history of how it went from a favoured spot for thermal springs among Ancient Romans looking to get away from it all to the centre of geothermal electricity production in the world, you can head to the Larderello Geothermics Museum in town, which was founded by Larderello Spa in the late 1950s. Explaining the history of geothermal energy, research, drilling, and more and including original models and equipment, it is the perfect place for those interested in this unique and fascinating industry and town.
Unfortunately, the undoubtedly interesting but utterly predominant industry of geothermal energy production in the town has taken over and Larderello is, sadly, no longer the spa destination that is was famous as for centuries. However, if you want to come and view the striking, smoking, hellish landscape of the Valle del Diavolo but you also want to also enjoy a dip in the volcanic waters of this part of Tuscany, then you can easily visit the hot springs in nearby Monte Amiata. Other spa towns such as Saturnia and Petriolo are also not located too far away. So, if you're looking to soak and admire some impressively otherworldly landscapes, then plan a trip to this volcanic corner of Tuscany!
Unfortunately, the undoubtedly interesting but utterly predominant industry of geothermal energy production in the town has taken over and Larderello is, sadly, no longer the spa destination that is was famous as for centuries. However, if you want to come and view the striking, smoking, hellish landscape of the Valle del Diavolo but you also want to also enjoy a dip in the volcanic waters of this part of Tuscany, then you can easily visit the hot springs in nearby Monte Amiata. Other spa towns such as Saturnia and Petriolo are also not located too far away. So, if you're looking to soak and admire some impressively otherworldly landscapes, then plan a trip to this volcanic corner of Tuscany!
