Terme del Bagnaccio

What to expect

The Bagnaccio is a thermal park in open farmland about 8 km (5 miles) north-west of Viterbo, beside the old line of the Via Cassia. Its springs were known in Roman times as Aquae Passeris, and the name appears on the Tabula Peutingeriana, the Roman road map. Today the site is a fenced park with a lawn, a scattering of trees and several open-air pools fed by hot sulphur water. It is sometimes listed as the Piscine Termali del Bagnaccio or the Parco termale del Bagnaccio; they are all this one place.

The water rises at about 145-149°F63-65°C and is classed as sulphate-bicarbonate, alkaline-earth and weakly sulphurous. It is cooled before it reaches the pools, and the pools differ in temperature, so the usual routine is to move between them. The operator does not publish pool temperatures. Older descriptions of the site put the range from about 73°F23°C in the coolest water up to the hottest pools near the source. The water is milky and smells of sulphur. Around the pools is open farmland.

At the reopening in August 2025 the owners and the Comune said four thermal pools were back in use. The park now has toilets, showers, changing rooms, a large lawn and paid sunbeds with umbrellas. It is still a simple, outdoor place: think of it as a country bathing ground with a ticket gate, not a spa.

A short history of the closure

For about a decade the pools were looked after by a volunteer association. Entry was effectively free, with an optional membership card that covered toilets and parking. That ended on June 23, 2022, when the Comune di Viterbo revoked the association’s concession after a long dispute. At the 2025 reopening a city councillor described the obstacle as a planning (urbanistica) problem. The TAR Lazio administrative court backed the Comune that August, and the pools stayed shut for three years.

In 2025 the Comune awarded a sub-concession for the thermal water to Rise Srl, a Rome company, under a contract signed on May 29, 2025 and running to December 31, 2027. The park reopened on August 2, 2025, with the mayor, Chiara Frontini, at the ceremony. In September 2026 the Comune set the operator’s annual fee for September 2026 to August 2027 at €32,723.86, which suggests normal operation is continuing.

Prices and booking

The price list published at the reopening, valid until December 31, 2025:

Ticket	Weekdays	Weekends, holidays and eves of holidays
Standard entry	€8	€10
Via Francigena pilgrims (with credential)	€6	€8
People with disabilities	€4	€5
Children under 6	€5	€5
Two sunbeds and an umbrella	€10	€10

A season pass for unlimited entry was €75; it does not include sunbeds. No 2026 price list has been published online, so treat these as a guide. You pay at the gate and no booking is needed.

Hours in summer 2025 (until October 31, 2025) were 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Last entry was 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. at weekends. Winter hours were not published in the sources we found, so check before an autumn or winter visit.

Getting there

By car from Viterbo: Take the Via Cassia north towards Montefiascone. The pools lie off the Cassia near the turnings for Marta and Castiglione in Teverina, and the entrance is on Strada del Garinei. The modern Cassia runs about 1 km east of the old Roman road that passes the site. The last stretch is on minor country roads.

On foot: The Via Francigena pilgrim route passes the park, which is why pilgrims get a discount. From Viterbo it is about 8 km (5 miles) on foot.

From Rome: Viterbo is about 80 km (50 miles) north of Rome; drive to Viterbo and continue north on the Cassia.

When to go

The pools are open every day. Evenings are the draw in summer: the park stays open late, the sun is off the water and the air is cooler. August weekends are the busiest time. In winter the steam on a cold morning is the best part of a visit, but check the hours first, because the published 2025 timetable covered the summer season only.

Rules and etiquette

The operator’s full house rules were not published in the sources we found. The basics:

• Swimsuits are expected.
• Children are welcome and under-6s have a reduced ticket. Ask at the gate whether any pool is limited to older children.
• Pilgrims must show a valid Via Francigena credential for the discount.
• Leave the source alone. Do not touch the inflow pipes or the hot channels.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging at the park. Viterbo, about 8 km (5 miles) south, has the most choice: hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses in and around the medieval centre. Montefiascone and the shore of Lake Bolsena, to the north along the Cassia, have lakeside hotels and campsites. Pilgrims will find hostels and religious houses along the Via Francigena in both Viterbo and Montefiascone.

Safety notes

• Very hot source water. At 145-149°F63-65°C the spring water would scald. Keep away from the inflows and test each pool with a hand.
• Heat and long soaks. Get out if you feel dizzy, drink water, and take breaks, particularly on hot summer evenings.
• Sulphur. It tarnishes silver and can discolour pale swimwear. Leave jewellery at home.
• Slippery edges. Pool surrounds get muddy and slick. Wear sandals.
• Head above water. Do not put your head under in any untreated thermal pool.

Nearby stops worth adding

The free Bullicame pools, the spring Dante wrote about, are on the western edge of Viterbo, a short drive south. The free Piscine Carletti are next to it. Lake Bolsena and Montefiascone’s cathedral dome are a short drive north on the Cassia.