Terme & Spa Italia, manager of Tuscany's Terme di Saturnia, is embarking on an ambitious urban wellness venture in Milan to create Italy’s largest urban thermal and wellness complex.

The project, set to open in 2025, will come to fruition following a €50 million (US$54 million, £42.5 million) investment by Infrastructures for Growth – ESG (IPC) fund of Azimut Libera Impresa SGR (Azimut Group) in partnership with Terme & Spa Italia.

The new facility, De Montel Terme di Milano, will be housed in the sensitively restored Scuderie De Montel, formerly one of Italy's most renowned horse stables.

Designed in 1920 by architect Vietti Violi in the Art Nouveau style, the stables were initially built for the affluent De Montel banking family and served as quarters for thoroughbreds and Royal Cavalry regiments. However, the structure fell into disrepair after WWII and was abandoned in the 1970s.

Now, 50 years later, the historic stables are being revitalised with a new purpose. De Montel Terme di Milano will accommodate 700 guests and feature 10 thermal pools supplied by a geothermal spring located nearly 400m underground.

The pools will be complemented by a 16-treatment-room spa, nine relaxation areas, four saunas, a steam bath and a large hammam.

A bistro, cafeteria, lounge bar and garden bar will complete the offering.

In total, the facility will cover 16,000sq m, with 10,000sq m dedicated to outdoor space.

The vision

The sensitive restoration of the stables is being conducted by a team of companies led by Studio Marzorati and guided by the Archaeological Superintendence of Fine Arts and Landscape.

"With the relaunch of the De Montel stables, we not only return a Liberty jewel of Milan's past but also inaugurate a new era for urban wellness," said Aldo Sansone, managing director.

"De Montel Terme di Milano represents a commitment to promoting accessible and sustainable wellness, offering an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city."

Conceived over a decade ago in 2007, the project gained momentum with the Municipality of Milan's inclusion of the De Montel stables in the "Reinventing Cities" competition, an initiative launched in 2017 in collaboration with the green metropolis network C40.

The project emphasises sustainability and respect for nature, aiming to reduce energy and water consumption through onsite energy production, including solar panels, and a rainwater recovery system. The goal is to create an energy-efficient operation with minimal CO2 emissions.