This gorgeous hot spa in Milan is the latest healthy destination in Italy

de Montel Terme Milano

There are many reasons to visit Milan, such as world-class fashion, excellent design certificates, and creative food and wine scenes. As of April 1, another has been added to the list: Italy’s largest urban hot park and throughout Europe. This month, the Northern Italian Metropolitan welcomes De Montel – Tere Milano, a sprawling adult thermal therapy center near the San Siro Stadium, which will be the city’s ultimate health destination.

Covering a surface of over 172,000 square feet—some 65,000 square feet indoors and 107,000 square feet outdoors, including lush green areas and a courtyard—the space features 10 pools with temperatures ranged from 71 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 4 saunas, a steam bath, a hammam, and offers bespoke spa treatments, including olive oil and natural mud massages and Saturnia Bioplankton facials.

But what makes the indoor and outdoor spa really stand out is that it is all powered by Milan’s only natural hot water, sourced from a 1300-foot-deep aquifer (about three times the height of Milan’s Duomo) and extracted through a pressurized worker’s well. The unique purity of low-mineral water has long been valued for its skin renewal and therapeutic properties, which was recognized by the Romans, who incorporated it into ancient spas as early as the second century AD.

“[De Montel] “The average visitor spent two nights in our city, but I firmly believe this park will expand it to three. It is a wonderful new destination,” said Martina Riva, MP for Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy at a press conference before the opening. In addition to providing a spa, guests can enjoy four different food and beverage stores on site, from breakfast to aperitif and dinner.

But De Montel is more than just a health paradise, it has historical, urban and cultural values. The complex occupied the prestigious horses once a Jewish banker, textile entrepreneur and horse racing enthusiast Giuseppe de Montel, who established in the mid-1910s to preside over the custody of the Elite Purebred and Royal Cavalry Regiment.

When De Montel was forced to flee Italy after the 1938 race law, the site was an amazing example of Art Nouveau architecture, which changed hands, and the property eventually became abandoned and disrepaired in the 1970s. The idea of ​​repurposing it first appeared in 2007, when thermal springs were found there, although it took another decade for its new fate to come true. In 2017, the Milan government incorporated the de Montemaable in the first edition of “Reshaping the City”, an international competition dedicated to rebirthing neglected landmarks. The proposed update wins and is committed to calling new life into this long-standing Milan treasure, which finally begins in 2020.

Hot Park is the culmination of this ambitious project. From the first glance, it doesn’t matter. “This is an architectural miracle,” said the MP for Giancarlo Tancredi, a city regeneration in Milan. “This is an extraordinary achievement that enriches not only our city, but also Europe.”

Coordinated by Italian architecture firms Studio Marzorati and J+S and overseen by the Soprintendenza Archeology delle Belle Arti e Paesaggio (a government department responsible for heritage preservation), the transformation was made possible through a 57 million euro investment from asset management company Azimut Libera Impresa in partnership with Terme & SPA Italia, the group behind Tuscany’s famous Terme di saturnia.

The meticulous restoration process fulfills every detail of the original site. Trim, columns and complex facades (some of which have been lost to time) are rebuilt with the same materials as in the early 20th century, including the rare binding compounds of Grenoble were also used in Milan’s iconic Galleria Vittorio Vittorio emanuele. The exquisite decorative details of vaulted ceilings, secluded patios and horses have been polished and updated to blend seamlessly with the contemporary interiors of luxury design studio THDP.

In addition to transformation, sustainability plays a key role in reconstruction. Solar panels, environmentally friendly building materials and stormwater recovery systems were implemented to minimize environmental footprints, while 3,500 new trees were planted in the ground to offset the park’s climate impact and add 230 plans per year over the next decade.

To do this, de Montel may be more than just a health retreat. “I think this is a blueprint for tomorrow’s urban planning,” said MP Tancredi. Councilman Riva agreed, calling it a “gliction of Milan’s future.”

De Montel – Tere Milan can accommodate up to 700 people per day (pregnant women and children under the age of 16 are not allowed). Prices range from €60 on weekdays to €89 on weekends (excluding spa treatments or packages), special prices for older people over 65 years of age, disabled people and their companions.

Originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

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