San Martino, Ardenno & Bagni Masino

The Bagni di Masino, the regenerative thermal baths, are what put this otherwise seldom visited location on the map from the XVI century onwards, when the nobility would come up to take the waters and remain a popular tourist destination to this day. Legend has it that these restorative waters had happened upon by chance, when a particularly stubborn cow, refusing to drink from the torrent, carried on up the mountain, choosing instead to drink from the hot springs and thus producing more milk than the other cows.

The first documented information about the Bagni di Masino dates back to the 15th century. In a letter of 1462 from the podestà of Morbegno to the Duke of Milan Francesco Sforza, the presence of a bath was noted that exploited the waters "flowing in the Val Màsino, among the beautiful Alpine valleys, healthy waters for every languor" [1]. At the beginning of the 16th century, the baths are mentioned by Matteo Bandello in his novels. In the letter that precedes the XXIII novella, he recalls that in summer he often went to "La Valtellina to admire those frescoes of Caspano and Bagni di Màsino" [2]. In the letter that precedes the XLIII novella, he says that "while the heat lasted ... one day I went to the Bagni del Màsino for pleasure, I found many gentlemen from Milan and Como" [3]. In 1545, the first medical work dedicated to the Baths was published in Venice. The author, Doctor Pietro Paolo Paravicini, highlighted the presence of a hotel, although "rough and unadorned", and "wooden houses" where guests rested. The work describes the chemical composition of the water and the different applications for treating skin diseases, migraines, eye problems, liver problems, arthritis and many other illnesses [4]. Giovanni Guler von Weineck, governor (1587-1588) of the valley for the Republic of the Three Leagues, in his work Raetia (1616) devotes a large space to the Baths. According to Guler, the water "accumulates inside the rock and, guided by pipes, reaches two different tubs, beautiful and spacious; one for men and the other for women". Next door was a small hotel with a few rooms and stoves. The Guler especially emphasized the virtues of water which was used as a drink, for baths and showers. [5] . After a period of abandonment, a new building was built in 1832, the thermal baths were then accessible by the Civo - Ponte del Baffo road, obviously on foot or by mule, despite the difficulties of access between 1836 and 1845 it welcomed 3000 customers. The carriage road that goes up from Ardenno was built in 1847. From 1850, assistance by qualified medical personnel began. The baths were particularly suitable for gynecological treatments and to promote fertility, they were popularly called the Ladies' Baths [6] . After a further period of closure, in 2009, the center was completely renovated, adapting it to standards and needs of today. On February 16, 2015, the thermal baths were closed due to the danger of landslides Masino Baths.

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