It’s just before sunrise, and the lights of Terme di Saturnia resort are already out of sight. I’ve been walking in the dark for less than a mile, through the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, in pursuit of one of the region’s wonders: Cascate del Mulino, a 3,000-year-old travertine hot spring believed to have sprouted in the Etruscan era. Save for a few other intrepid souls who are also braving the crisp morning air, I’m alone.
Arriving at the waterfalls, set just below an old stone mill, I drop my robe and rest it on the white pebbles surrounding the springs before tiptoeing into the first of the steamy pools. The chill of dawn on my skin ceases as I float in the sulfuric waters, resting at a temperature of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Soon, the crowds will arrive, but for now, I enjoy the oasis to myself, allowing it to both soothe and transport me. I wonder what it was once like to arrive here when the area had no resort or hotel nearby, when the Etruscans, and later the Romans, first began looking to the springs as a sanctuary for healing.
Photo: Art of Ayni
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