TWO CASES COMPARED: ALÌ TERME AND TERME VIGLIATORE
Thermal baths are an important element of the cultural wealth in Sicily and date back to the classical period. Starting from the 1970s the thermal industry in Italy has begun to be regulated by health and sanitation laws and Regions have been charged with the promotion and development of the thermal structures. Only since the end of the Twentieth Century thermalism has been redefi ned according to a new model, based also on the principle of “wellness”, directed to the recovery of both physical and mental health, often damaged by the stress of modern life. From then on thermalism has assumed a new character which connects the thermal industry to the other cultural and tourist resources of the territory and combines health with tourism. This work presents the case studies of Alì Terme and Terme Vigliatore, in the province of Messina.