Wine, hot thermal water and style

Standing above the old Via Clodia, which connected southern Etruria to Rome, Velona Castle was built as a medieval fortress in the 11th century. Thewatchtower was added in the 12th century, a reminder of the old rivalry between Siena and Florence. The rear part of the Castle is from the late medieval period. In the Renaissance, a period which gave us the Main Loggia, the Castle was turned into a residential villa; “Velona” is represented in frescoed maps in the Vatican by the famous cosmographer, geographer and mathematician from Perugia, Ignazio Danti. Darkness fell over the Castle for many centuries, until 1997, when it was resurrected from the ruins and works started to turn it into a luxury relais, thanks to restructuring work that retained the original structure of the residence. The company Podere Castello 1997 srl, which purchased the property in 2003, undertook other renovation and extension works, supervised by Ing. Fabiani, the result being the modern-day Castello di Velona Resort, Thermal SPA & Winery. The SPA water spring that gushes from Monte Amiata is the dominant natural element of Oli SPA, a structure covering 1,500 m2 of the castle. The perfection of the travertine marble is the dominant element of the wellness area. The use of this prestigious material, a Tuscan tradition, is also a reference to the mineral contained in the SPA waters, which spurt forth in the two outdoor swimming pools and in the two indoor pools with Jacuzzi, all boasting a fine view of the Val d’orcia, a Unescoworld Heritage site. The five treatment cabins, two Turkish baths, sauna and ‘emotional showers’, just as all the treatments on offer, from body and face massages to scrubs and packs, are designed to offer sensory delights and total relaxation. Grapes, a Brunello wine from the company’s winery, and olive oil, local products, and other natural ingredients are used to give guests the body sensation of a perfect union between the territory, water and man. Oli SPA offers couples the possibility of sharing in a private cabin a moment of relaxation and wellbeing, as well as the possibility of staying in one of the Hotel’s SPA Suites, where hot thermal water is supplied directly to the tubs in the bedrooms, also fitted with private cabins for treatments.