The Centre and the Water: the Acque Albule
The Acque Albule are hypothermal sulphurous waters known since antiquity. Their name recalls their typical milky appearance: as the pressure drops, the dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide are released and turn the water opalescent.
They rise from the Regina and Colonnelle lakes, north of the Via Tiburtina, at a constant temperature of around 23.4 °C all year round, with a very high flow rate. The scientific literature attributes antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties to sulphur: this is the rationale behind the thermal pathways — respiratory, dermatological and rheumatic — recognised by the Italian National Health Service.
The chemical and physical characteristics are monitored through periodic checks; the analyses (1994 and 2018) confirm their therapeutic value. Today the water is drawn through deep pumps, to guarantee a continuous, safe flow without altering its properties.
Two thousand years of history
Pliny the Elder recounts that “soldiers wounded in battle were taken to the Acque Albule as to the finest place of healing, whence they returned restored to health”. Virgil mentions them in the Aeneid; Nero brought them all the way to the Domus Aurea via the Marcian aqueduct; Hadrian used them to feed the pools of his villa. Caesar Augustus, who suffered from gout, benefited so greatly that he had the architect Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa build a great bathing complex, whose ruins are still visible.
Forgotten after the imperial age, the waters were reborn in the Renaissance: Cardinal Ippolito d’Este — who used them for his own health — obtained the governorship of Tivoli and built the celebrated Villa d’Este there.
Since the early 2000s the complex has been entirely renewed: the restoration of the historic Anderloni building and the pools (2002), the complete refurbishment of the SSN-covered thermal cure sector, and the creation of the Victoria Terme Hotel within the park. The ancient baths have come back to life, with the unchanged healing qualities of the Acque Albule.
Care, prevention, wellness
Modern thermal centres are qualified healthcare facilities. The effectiveness of thermal cures is recognised by the Italian National Health Service (SSN): for specific indications, your doctor can prescribe a cycle of cures at an SSN-approved centre such as Terme di Roma, paying only the co-payment where required.
Thermal cures do not replace necessary drug treatments and are not indicated during acute phases: they complement other therapies as supportive care, improving quality of life in chronic conditions. That is why every programme begins with a medical assessment.