By the time you’ve driven through the charming hillside village of Fiuggi, up the circular colonnaded drive, and entered the exquisite marble lobby flooded with natural light, it’s obvious: a visit to Palazzo Fiuggi is destined to be a beautiful experience. The building itself, majestic and graceful, holds an immediate promise of well-being. But it’s what happens inside that is nothing short of life-changing.
The award-winning Palazzo Fiuggi, less than an hour from Rome, first opened as a wellness medical spa in 2021, but it was originally built in 1913. It was then known as Palazzo della Fonte (“the source”), for its proximity to healing mountain mineral springs, which are still a centerpiece of the program today. Wellness seekers have been drawn to the famous Fiuggi hills since before the 15th century, when Michelango credited the curative waters of Acqua de Fiuggi with relieving his kidney stones.
Many centuries later, Palazzo Fiuggi is in the forefront of global wellness. The spa pairs the area’s historic healing legacy with a hyper-modern approach, elevated by luxurious Italian design and warm hospitality. Each suite, flooded with natural light, is more calming than the last, and many feature glass doors that open onto a terrazzo with views of the Apennine mountains.
Longevity at Palazzo Fiuggi
A sister property to the incomparable Forte Village, in Sardinia, also a wellness world unto itself, Palazzo offers state-of-the-art customized wellness programs, led by top medical doctors–sleep experts, neurologists, endocrinologists–from Rome. The focus is on four pillars: healing thermal waters; a Food as Medicine culinary program designed by three-star Michelin chef Heinz Beck; the Movement Lab HPM (High Performance Method); and mind/body healing in nature. The slogan, “A Longer Life, Better Lived,” flows through it all like a clear mountain spring.
Guests arrive with a chosen objective: attaining optimal weight, detox, sleep and stress management, gut/brain health. But the ground-breaking Longevity Program is undoubtedly the jewel in Palazzo’s wellness crown, by taking an integrative approach to slowing the effects of aging, building mind/body strength, promoting tissue regeneration, restoring energy.
It begins with a full medical workup, including blood and urine tests, a bone scan, electrocardiogram, muscle mass tests, body composition analysis and more, depending upon how deep you want to go. The doctors devote plenty of time to helping guests understand the “why” behind their health issues. And of course, it is much more relaxing to tackle those issues here than it would be in a traditional doctor’s office or medical facility, where you most certainly wouldn’t be gazing at gorgeous frescoes or Murano glass chandeliers.
The renowned Hiking for Longevity program includes four to six days of daily hikes. “Outdoor activity–engaging with nature and social activity–has been shown to increase both mental and physical health,” says a resident doctor. Cycling for Longevity was just launched this year. The Sleep Program is overseen by a neurologist who prescribes “a combination of innovative medical science with spa treatments, food and the right lifestyle.” Palazzo recently launched Biohacking Retreats created by Stefano Santori, founder of the Mindset Biohacking® method, geared to optimize mind-body performance by building strength, optimizing metabolism and improving cellular function.
An Exquisite Spa at Palazzo Fiuggi
Throughout the day, guests pop into the elegant Tisaneria for a snack or a smoothie, and step onto the terrazzo to marvel at the rolling hills beyond. The spa features a full treatment menu from cryotherapy and hydrotherapy to thalassotherapy, thermal mud baths and hammam, along with many new science-based aesthetic protocols so unique and cutting edge that you’ve certainly never heard of them. Meanwhile, the exquisite marble walls and original frescoes remind you, everywhere you look, that you are, indeed, living in a century-old palace.
The exquisite 20,000 square-foot spa includes a thermal circuit that includes a hot/cold plunge, a large thermal pool, a Kneipp walk, steam and traditional sauna, infrared sauna, hammam, salt chamber, thermal mud and an outdoor swimming pool. Sustainability is an important part of the Palazzo ethos. Products in the spa and suites are EcoCert or organic, all kitchen food waste is composted for the gardens, and the restaurant sources local and organic ingredients.
With a strong focus on local produce and fish, meals can feel restrictive–no alcohol, for example, though there is pasta (this is Italy, after all!). A typical lunch may include red snapper carpaccio and grilled polenta with vegetables, dinner may be beetroot soup with filet of sea bass and tomato coulis or tortellini with ricotta and herbs. But each delicious meal in the elegant dining room inspires guests to slow down and savor the beautiful presentation, to eat with intention.
Immersive Wellness at Palazzo Fiuggi
There are many expert wellness spas around the globe, with an increasing focus on longevity, but Palazzo is the real deal. Guests depart with a data-driven road map (including measurable test results) that will inspire lifestyle changes that may include a new love of hiking, or a more mindful approach to food. After just a few days at Palazzo Fiuggi, you will feel like a new, much-improved version of yourself, with new tools to keep the journey moving forward toward robust health, mental clarity and longevity.
Under the expert guidance of talented medical professionals with a deep dedication to restoring optimal health, guests invest anywhere from three nights to up to two weeks, learning to take care of themselves, so they can live la bella vita for a long time to come. The experience brings a boost to your emotional and mental health, and makes you happy. What is wellness, after all, if it doesn’t bring joy, and make you feel well?
And, if you decide to visit the Sistine Chapel or the Pantheon while you’re there, it is easy for the hotel to arrange. After all, Rome is less than an hour away. And don’t miss a visit to Fiuggi’s old town. If you have more time, plan a trip to Naples or Pompeii, about two hours’ distance, before or after your stay. Though you may feel like you are at a remove up on the hilltop at Palazzo Fiuggi, it is Italy, after all. The rest of the world is close.