Palazzo Fiuggi, an Italian Wellness and Medical Retreat That Hydrates for Health
The place to stay for a longer life, better lived.
For thousands of years, before the advent of modern spas and wellness retreats, the curative effects of water were known and sought from their very source. The thermal water of Fiuggi, an hourʻs drive from Rome, is known for its diuretic properties and reputed to have cured the ailments of Pope Boniface VIII and Michelangelo. Centuries on, the town continues to draw in health tourists, and with the arrival of Palazzo Fiuggi, a state-of-the-art medical wellness retreat, a new class of the devout.
“We drink only water here,” the general manager says, signalling the choice of still or sparkling water available on the marble console upon check-in: “room temperature or cold.” A stay at Palazzo Fiuggi, a 100-million-euro facility that is innately Italian with white marble, golden mosaics, frescoed ceilings, and Murano chandeliers, means giving yourself over to be transformed in the Palazzo Fiuggi Method, state-of-the-art bespoke therapy and treatment programs that detox and decompress. “Everything that we offer is rooted in science,” says Dr. David Della Morte, Palazzo Fiuggi’s medical and scientific director (and Fiuggi native), who also has tenure at both the University of Rome and University of Miami departments of medicine.
In addition to being a grande dame hotel, Palazzo Fiuggi also offers spa and medical facilities spanning 6,000 square metres that include treatment rooms, beauty cabines, indoor and outdoor pools, a yoga studio, Technogym-equipped movement lab, hydro circuit rooms, Himalayan salt room, thalasso pools, sauna—the list goes on. So too medical equipment including CT scanner, MRI technology, light needle laser therapy, infrared tech for brain health and sleep, metabolism analysis, plasma light therapy, and more make for another long list. The most requested programs, with a minimum seven-night stay, are longevity/anti-aging, detox, and weight loss, with itineraries packed from morning until night with medical visits, spa treatments, and training sessions (including optional three-hour-plus hikes in the Apennine Mountains), signed off by the team of scientists, medical practitioners, therapists, and doctors.
And while this is a facility for shedding those hard-to-lose pounds, the food is some of the best ever. Heinz Beck, executive chef of Rome’s three-Michelin-starred La Pergola, developed 1,000 recipes for Palazzo Fiuggi, and even though the kitchen is not stocked with salt or sugar, the dishes are both mouthwateringly delicious and inventive. There is no red meat but plenty of fish, and don’t expect bread or butter to clutter the crisply pressed tablecloth during meals. Rather, the table decor includes a detailed description of each dish along with the calorie count: squash gnocchi in cream of spinach, three bites of salmon, beetroot and pineapple gelato placed with a citrus salad for dessert. As for beverages, there is no coffee, only tea, absolutely no alcohol, and an unofficial prescription to drink water and plenty of it. There is a fountain connected directly to the springs for filling your glass and bottle on repeat.
Oprah Winfrey has stayed at Palazzo Fiuggi and said, “I’ve been to many spas over the years—I’ve relaxed and retreated, deep-tissued and shiatsu’d, woken up with the birds for yoga and cardio, starved, meditated, cleansed. But never have I ever experienced anything like this.”
Add Palazzo Fiuggi to the itinerary on you next visit to Italy, and an already fantastic trip just got better.
