Strategies and Projects for Thermal Sites

In Italy, thermalism has long constituted a fundamental component of the national tourism system, deeply rooted in cultural and social values. Until the 1920s, spa stays represented one of the main forms of holidaymaking, closely associated with therapeutic practices and collective rituals. From the post-war period onwards, thanks to the support of the National Health Service, the phenomenon acquired a mass dimension. However, the restrictions introduced in the health sector during the 1980s led to a gradual downsizing of the role of thermal establishments as accredited therapeutic facilities. From this transformation emerged a new paradigm in which spa offerings were reconfigured as experiential destinations oriented towards holistic wellbeing. Today, together with Germany, Italy boasts the highest number of thermal establishments in Europe—a testament to a long-standing tradition that has seen these places act as genuine hubs of social, economic, and political life. In recent years, numerous architectural redevelopment projects have reinterpreted the thermal heritage in a contemporary key, generating new territorial centralities and activating processes of urban regeneration. Among the most significant international examples is Zumthor’s Therme Vals, while in Italy, noteworthy projects include the De Montel development in Milan, the restoration of the Grand Hotel in San Pellegrino Terme, and the revitalisation of the Bormio spas. The article analyses the evolution of Italian spa architecture throughout the twentieth century, with a particular focus on recent regeneration projects and their spatial, economic, and cultural impacts.