by Giovanni Bosi, Telese / Campania / Italy

There was a time when the word wellness carried the scent of sulfur and romance. It was the Belle Époque, and the Telese Thermal Baths, nestled in the Benevento area of Sannio, were the most fashionable destination for those seeking health, elegance, and a touch of society life. From Naples, a special train — the famous Treno dei Bagnanti (“Bathers’ Train”) — departed and, in less than two hours, whisked ladies in crinolines, gentlemen in top hats, and distinguished physicians to the gates of the thermal park. Today, that very train proudly stands within the spa complex, still evoking the same spirit of wellbeing that has endured through the ages.

(TurismoItaliaNews) It was a journey through the gentle luxury of time — amidst puffs of steam and gallant conversation — that would forever change the face of wellness tourism in Southern Italy.

The dream of Eduardo Minieri and the birth of the modern spa

It all began in 1877, when entrepreneur Eduardo Minieri obtained the concession for the Telese Baths. A man of vision and culture, Minieri realized that these sulfurous waters — known since 1349, when they emerged after a devastating earthquake — could become the heart of a modern enterprise, uniting science, health, and tourism. He commissioned Italian and European medical experts to conduct scientific studies proving the therapeutic power of the springs. It didn’t take long before Telese’s waters were winning accolades at national and international congresses, drawing visitors from all over the country. The Telese Spa soon became a symbol of the rising bourgeoisie’s pursuit of wellbeing and social status — a meeting point between science and society, culture and sophistication.

The “Special Bathers’ Train”: the revolution of wellness travel

In July 1883, the growing popularity of the baths led the Adriatic Railway Company to inaugurate a direct rail link right to the spa’s entrance. Thus was born the Treno Speciale Bagnanti — the Special Bathers’ Train — which during the summer months (July to September) offered four daily runs between Naples and Telese: fast, elegant, and affordable. “The means is easy, quick, and far more convenient than before…” declared an advertisement of the time. It was the golden age of Art Nouveau posters — journeys filled with health and seduction — when spa treatments became a fashionable form of romantic escape. Telese thus became one of Southern Italy’s very first wellness destinations accessible by train, anticipating by decades the modern concept of thermal tourism.

Sulfurous waters, science and health: a 140-year-old heritage

Today, as in the past, the Telese Thermal Baths, managed by A. Minieri Spa, stand among Italy’s oldest and most prestigious spa establishments. After more than 140 years, their name remains synonymous with scientific excellence and warm hospitality. The waters, flowing at a steady 20–21°C, are rich in sulfur, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium. Hydrogen sulfide gives them their well-known healing properties, while natural carbon dioxide makes them pleasantly effervescent to drink. From inhalation therapies to thermal pools, from skincare treatments to vascular therapies, every program is designed to prevent and treat chronic conditions in an atmosphere of comfort and professionalism. Telese’s waters are especially recommended for psoriasis, dermatitis, acne, eczema, and circulatory disorders — offering natural relief and rejuvenation.

From the ancient city of Tulosium to today’s Telese Terme: a timeless legacy

The roots of Telese reach deep into the history of the Samnite Caudini, who founded the city of Tulosium, later the Roman Telesia, already boasting baths, theatres, and forums. Through invasions and earthquakes — the most devastating in 1349 — the town was destroyed and rebuilt several times, until its nineteenth-century rebirth thanks to the thermal establishments. In 1934, Telese became an autonomous municipality, and in 1992, following a local referendum, it officially adopted the name Telese Terme, recognizing thermal wellness as its truest identity. In 2014, by decree of President Giorgio Napolitano, the town was granted the title of City — a tribute to its unique blend of archaeology, health and tourism.

Belle Époque, rails and wellness: a journey worth rediscovering

Today, as wellness tourism experiences a renaissance, the story of the Treno dei Bagnanti still fascinates travelers and dreamers alike. It evokes an Italy that believed in health as a journey, slowness as a luxury, and the landscape itself as therapy. A route that could be revived today — perhaps with a vintage heritage train running between Naples and Telese — to relive that atmosphere of sulfur-scented air, leisurely chatter, and stations nestled amid Sannio’s green hills. Because, in truth, the Belle Époque of the Telese Spa never really ended — it continues every time someone, even just for a weekend, decides to “take the waters” and rediscover the pleasure of a slow journey toward wellbeing.

And now that train is there forever…

With the arrival of the High-Speed/High-Capacity railway system in Telese Terme, the spa has received a symbolic gift: the steam locomotive Gr. 835.323 Fs, accompanied by a Centoporte passenger car built between the 1930s and 1940s — recognizable by its many doors along each side, designed for quick boarding and alighting. The locomotive was transported from Livorno and fully restored by the Fs Foundation, with support from the Municipality and the Telese Spa, in memory of the original Telese–Cerreto–Telese Bagni railway branch, inaugurated in 1883 and decommissioned in 1959. In front of the locomotive stands a functioning water crane — once used to refill steam engines — salvaged from the Telese Terme station. Built in 1921 by the Om company of Milan for the Italian State Railways, the Gr. 835.323 was one of 370 engines produced between 1906 and 1922, and among the last to be retired, still in service as late as 1980. The 835 series played a key role in shaping the image of Italy’s twentieth-century railway system.

And so - a train, a dream, and healing waters: for 140 years, Telese Terme has been sending wellness on a journey, carried gently along the rails.