History of Montecatini Terme
Montecatini Terme is the most famous Italian spa town. It is located in Tuscany, in the province of Pistoia. The town was founded by Archduke Leopold I of Tuscany (Pietro Leopoldo), who began to use the therapeutic springs in the late 18th Century, which led to the development of the town as a new spa destination.
The town and the spa industry saw its greatest boom in the early 20th Century, when Montecatini Terme experienced the period of its greatest prosperity. Most of the spa buildings, hotels, villas, and private homes were built in this period.
Montecatini Terme is characterised by its elegant colonnades, thanks to which it also known as the “Italian Carlsbad”.