An oasis of peace and tranquility surrounded by lush vegetation that slowly goes to ‘kiss’ the blue of the sea: the Thermal Park Castiglione of Casamicciola has made these two colors that characterize it, a motto and a source of pride (“The bluest green you've ever seen!”), making it a unique piece in the mosaic of colorful beauty of Ischia.
The story of this extraordinary spa park has very ancient origins. We are in 1902 when in Wannsee (Berlin) was born on March 8, Maria Ursula von Stohrer, daughter of Franz von Günther, cavalry officer and llse von Koch. In 1925 she married Eberhard von Stohrer, then Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Chief of Staff. In 1926 her husband was appointed Plenipotentiary of Germany to the Egyptian Government, with headquarters in Cairo. There, the pair of diplomats remains for 10 years where will travel in the Mediterranean region with frequent short stops in Naples. They feel a deep desire to build a house on the sea and after a long search in 1936, the choice is right on the island of Ischia and at the property Castiglione of Casamicciola thanks to the extraordinary presence of thermal water. So in 1940 began the construction of this important house, completed in 1942. Baroness von Storher will return to Ischia in 1946 after the war and will remain there for the remaining days of her life. After her husband's death in 1953 the Baroness began to engage with all her strength of the property of Casamicciola and also wanted to give new life to the ancient spasm, fed constantly from the Castiglione source, that had already been praised by Strabo and Pliny the Younger as well as by Giulio Iasolino in his “De rimedi naturali”.
With the fundamental contribution of Dr. Walde (formerly founder and first owner of the Park Poseidon) and his son Berthold, was therefore carried out in the mid 70’s the Castiglione Thermal Park that we can admire today in all its beauty.
In this extraordinary work was also essential the deep respect for the environment: the various buildings are in fact perfectly embedded and hidden in the lush surroundings.The thermal water is also now the undisputed star of a park that captivates the hearts of those who come to visit it every time as if it were the first time: it with its many beneficial effects for human health facilitates the regeneration of body and spirit. 10 pools 8 of which with temperatures ranging between 30 and 40 degrees, for kids is reserved the pool mixed with sea water, such as the Olympic, about 25 meters long. The park also features a private beach, with several hydro-massages, sauna, Turkish bath, 2 Kneipp pools, private pier for sunbathing on the sea and a specialized area for the care and well-being of body, with an ample supply of massages and water aerobics in the winter months!
To underline especially the massages and treatments in the ‘amber room’, not a real stone, but the product of natural alchemy that over millions of years has created wonderful gems (the fossilized resin). The varieties most valuable are those that incorporate, to perpetuate magically the gifts of nature, ancient animal or plant organisms: insects, flowers, leaves, buds of plants, wood fragments. It was the first historical gemstone and was reputed to have miraculous properties.
Throughout the Park, which also houses two restaurants and a boutique, is an “island within an island” full of flowers and flowering subtropics trees of all kinds: the Baroness personally collected them from all over the world to breathe life into a place which is already rich and enchanting. Therefore, not only a beautiful hydrothermal complex, but a real sensory experience: from the small funicular that connects the entrance with departments spa and swimming pools, passing through the beautiful and ancient pine trees that give off a strong smell of resin and that contrast a wild Mediterranean vegetation dominated by chestnut trees and oaks, until it was lost in the blue of the sea, while a multitude of birds gladdens us singing. The Castiglione Thermal Park is also ready to accommodate all types of events, anniversaries and celebrations, as well as being mainly a luxury resort, with rooms for tourists from all over the world, ample parking, a panoramic restaurant and evening entertainment at the now famous hall “Ulysses”.
A visit and a stay on the island of Ischia cannot really be complete without a visit to this veritable “paradise” where the union between the thermal and marine waters will be the ideal base for your relaxing: an experience that you remember even after departure. The Castiglione Thermal Park awaits you: let yourself be captivated by its wonderful beauty!
by Francesco Schiano