Abano Terme, Italy

Abano Terme Italy

Abano Terme (called Abano Bagni until 1924) is a town and municipality in the province of Padua, in the Veneto region of Italy, on the eastern slope of the Euganean Hills, about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Padua by rail. As of 2001, Abano Terme has a population of 19,062 (up from just 4,556 in 1901). The town’s main economic resource is its hot springs and mud baths, with waters reaching temperatures of about 80 °C (176 °F). The baths were known to the Romans as Aponi fons or Aquae Patavinae. They are described in a letter to Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, by Cassiodorus. Some remains of the ancient baths have been found (see S. Mandruzzato, Trattato dei Bagni d’Abano, Padua, 1789). An oracle of Geryon stood nearby, and the so‑called sortes Praenestinae (C.I.L. i., Berlin, 1863; 1438–1454), small inscribed bronze cylinders used as oracles, were probably discovered here in the 16th century. The baths were destroyed by the Lombards in the 6th century, but were later rebuilt and expanded when Abano became an autonomous municipality in the 12th century and again in the late 14th century. The town belonged to the Republic of Venice from 1405 to 1797.
Recommended airport
Venezia Tessera (VCE)
Points of interest
Nearby destinations
  • Venice a 42.16 km
  • Padua a 8.88 km
  • Rovigo a 31.93 km