by Thierry Piolatto
A stone’s throw away from Padua and Venice, Abano is one of Europe’s largest thermal towns. Here, the GB Thermae Hotels group offers an exclusive “fangotherapy” treatment in this superb Belle Epoque setting.
Fangotherapy, a thousand-year-old treatment
As far back as the Roman era, Abano’s mud and water were used by visitors to promote healing and wellbeing. This tradition was perpetuated by European nobility, and today Abano has become a must-visit thermal sanctuary for anyone who wants to reap the benefits of fangotherapy, a thermal mud treatment that has made the town famous. Running underground from the Lessini mountains in the Venetian Prealps, the mud passes through limestone rock and into Abano at a depth of over 2,000 metres, from where it is extracted to be used in all of the town’s thermal establishments. Over the course of this 80-kilometre journey, which can take between 25 and 30 years, the mud remains at a high temperature of 85° and becomes enriched with mineral salts. Categorised as hyperthermal salty-bromine-iodic, it is the only mud of its kind in the world. It is mixed with clay collected from the Arqua Petracrca and Lispida thermal lakes and is then treated, purified and set aside to rest in maturing pools for 50 to 60 days to allow the micro-organisms responsible for its anti-inflammatory glycolipidic substances to develop: fangotherapy is born! Today, this exceptional mud holds a patent for its anti-inflammatory action, after undergoing testing at Padua university.
Doctor Maurizio Grassetto, the hotel’s treatment manager, explains, “It is important to highlight that all of our treatments are natural and that, in order to be used for thermal treatments, the mud must be matured for a period of at least two months. Fangotherapy is a treatment that holds an international patent, which ensures that everyone respects the therapeutic indications. In Italy, this thermal mud is officially classed as a medicine, with results proven by scientific studies, particularly for slowing down arthritis and osteoporosis.”
Used in several innovative rituals
The GB Thermae Hotels group’s establishments, including the Grand Hotel Trieste & Victoria, have developed various mud-based treatments such as Health Plus Thermal Mud, Anti-aging Thermal Mud, Fango & Fit Thermal Mud and Detox Mature Thermal Mud. For every treatment, specific substances are added to the mud, such as ETS-05 natural algae or bioactives extracted from artichoke for their detoxifying properties. During our stay, we tried one of their flagship treatments, the Detox Mature Thermal Mud treatment. After a medical check-up, which enables them to personalise the treatment, it is carried out in three phases and starts with a mud wrap that focuses on the joints to deeply soothe, revitalise and detoxify the body. The enriched clay is then carefully applied to the hepatic area, helping the body to eliminate any toxins. The body is wrapped with seven compresses drenched in enriched mud to round off the treatment, which helps detoxify the liver, boosts drainage, stimulates the metabolism and boosts skin regeneration. Once the mud has been showered off, the treatment continues in a thermal water bath enriched with thermophile microalgae.
Spotlight on longevity
In the White Spa, a cosy space that complements the mud therapy booths, the Grand Hotel Trieste & Victoria is extending the list of longevity treatments in its Thermal Synergy – Detox & Longevity programme. A medical check-up and nutritional guidance are included for anyone wishing to undergo this comprehensive programme. Following the initial medical check-up and nutritionist appointment, the protocol is personalised to set out your Detox/Balance package, which aims to support your metabolism, reduce inflammation and reset your major physiological functions. Doctor Emonia Hito, spa manager of the GB Thermae Abano group, explains, “We are focusing more and more on anti-aging and longevity. As part of the treatments we offer, we carry out an oxidative stress analysis, an examination that gives us an overall idea of the body’s redox status. Oxidative stress is caused by high levels of free radicals in relation to the immune defence provided by antioxidants. This assessment is very important when trying to predict any damage that might be caused by free radicals. It is included in our longevity programmes but can also be requested by any of our visitors who want it.” The Detox Mature Thermal Mud treatment can be combined with a Fango Emotion treatment or targeted treatments to refresh the legs and firm up the thighs or buttocks. A la carte body reshaping massages and aqua gym sessions complete the programme. Doctor Maurizio Grassetto says, “The aim is not to restrict, but rather to take measured action that aims to support the metabolic functions and boost the body’s natural detoxification processes. Together, these treatments act upon the circulation, water retention and the tissues’ tonicity.”
White Spa, 3,650m2 dedicated to wellness
There are many good reasons to go to the Trieste & Victoria. The first is the White Spa, with its 35 booths, which symbolises the purity of the treatments offered and whose decor was carefully chosen to offer a unique experience. In this space, you can enjoy their comprehensive “Five Senses” treatment, a relaxing and regenerating experience that takes you to a heavenly dimension and speeds up cell renewal, regenerates the skin and nourishes the cells. You could also try the “Affusion Shower”, a water massage using 1,200 jets of pressurised water to tone the muscles and tissues, or the “Inhalation Therapy – Aerosol” for an immunity-boosting action in the mucous membranes. They also offer a multitude of other treatments, such as Myolifting, lymphatic drainage for the face, Luxury Silver Facial, and more. The second good reason is the pool area, which includes a sauna, a steam room, an ice room, a Kneipp path for vascular hydrotherapy, four thermal water pools and a Crystal Pool that can be booked for private sessions with a physiotherapist. The third reason is the hotel’s architecture. This Belle Epoque jewel is a historic former home that bore witness to several remarkable events, including being used for military coordination during the First World War and as a military hospital in the Second World War. An immense building, which you can explore under the caring eye of the therapists and staff, it features exquisite rooms adorned with pianos, an old-time bar and a vast dining room where culinary art goes hand in hand with fine dining, not forgetting their personalised special dietary menus.
The GB Thermae group: five hotels and a successful family business
The story began with Aldo Borile, an engineer who, thanks to his knowledge about the Eugene Basin, designed innovative pumps that could collect thermal water on a large scale. The system was fitted in all of the thermal establishments in Abano, relaunching the town’s thermal activity. In the 1970s, Borile moved into hospitality when he bought the Hotel Terme Metropole then the Trieste & Victoria. Later, he had the Abano Grand Hotel, the Hotel Terme Due Torri and the Hotel La Residence & Idrokinesis built. Today, the Borile family is still at the helm. Chiara Borile, the group’s owner and Marketing Manager, said “I was born in Abano and started my career here. Our family runs five hotels in Abano. My sister Christina, my brother Alexandre and I all work within the group, and we all specialise in different areas. One of our nephews is a doctor and another has a talent for construction. An important year for our group was 1989, when we began renovating the Trieste & Victoria hotel and creating the White Spa, an immaculate 3,650m2 space, making it one of the town’s largest spas.”
Visiting the area
From this superb location, you can visit all around Abano, including a trip into Venice or the medieval town of Treviso, Padua to admire Giotto’s superb frescos in the Scrovegni chapel, Caffè Pedrocchi for a mint coffee, or Verona to watch its famous opera. So much to do, so little time! l
Infos: Grand Hotel Trieste & Victoria, Via Pietro d’Abano, 1 – 35031 Abano Terme – Padoue (Italie)
www.hoteltriestevictoria.it
