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In the 16th century, the legendary artist and architect Michelangelo traveled hours from Rome to the village of Fiuggi in search of relief from the pain of chronic kidney stones. For centuries, popes and nobles also made the trip for “the cure;” it’s said that the healing qualities in the water come from rain being enriched as it passes through the roots of the area’s thick chestnut forests. Today, thanks to the recent opening of the luxurious medicinal health retreat Palazzo Fiuggi, wellness pilgrimages to this rural town continue. However, now it’s much easier: The drive from Rome is only an hour. And the accommodations are decidedly more deluxe: The property, an art deco–style villa with 102 rooms and suites, is set on a hilltop within 8.5 acres of private grounds, gardens and woodlands. Although it’s a medical spa staffed with multiple trained doctors, the interiors are palatial. Guests dine in a grand space with a glass ceiling, crystal chandeliers and frescos; long, white marble hallways lead to indoor fountains. And a 4,000-square-foot gym is housed in what was once a majestic ballroom.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

Before you arrive, consultants discuss your goals. There is no set schedule unless you want one; guests can stay three days or sign up for one of several programs, from detox to medical, where you can opt to get an ultrasound of your organs, try a vitamin infusion or test out the latest cryotherapy machine. Palazzo Fiuggi also offers a popular longevity program, a version of which Oprah Winfrey experienced and wrote about in 2023, calling it the “best wellness retreat of her life.”

As a working mother of three, life for me was consistently challenging. And the last few months of work travel and unhealthy eating — while battling perimenopause — had taken its toll, so I decided to sign up for a four-day detox.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

Shortly after being escorted to my spacious suite — which featured an attached study, a lavish, king-sized bed covered in ivory Italian linens and a vast marble bathroom with a deep bathtub — I was brought to the ground floor spa reception area. There, the resident doctor administered several tests to assess the state of my health. Although my body mass index, or B.M.I., was standard, my body fat percentage was slightly above average for my age, putting me at risk.

To alleviate the stress caused by my less-than-perfect results, the doctor sent me to soak in three mineral-and-salt-enriched pools within a light-filled room composed of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The spa recommends that guests spend 30 minutes here daily to calm their nerves and help boost their immune system.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

My recommended daily calorie intake was about 1,800 calories but they told me I would temporarily be put on a 1,500-calorie diet to jumpstart weight loss. Fortunately, with the three Michelin–star chef Heinz Beck (based in Rome at the legendary La Pergola) curating the healthy menus at Palazzo Fiuggi, I didn’t suffer any sense of deprivation. With rare extra time on his hands during the COVID epidemic, Beck tells me he spent days working with the property’s lead doctor, Professor David Della Morte Canosci, to devise recipes that combined all the necessary nutrients with Michelin-star flavors — and little to no unhealthy fats. For breakfast, I ate porridge with honey and blueberry jam and yogurt topped with wild berries. At lunch, I nibbled on a beautifully spiced grilled cauliflower and pumpkin gnocchi with spinach cream or roasted artichokes and zucchini followed by a flavorful minestrone soup. Dinner was a wholesome but savory affair: a filet of sea bass served with carrots and parsnip or amberjack sashimi on a curried red quinoa. “Over several months, I created over 900 recipes for Palazzo Fiuggi,” Beck tells me, adding that he has long been interested in how certain foods can combat inflammation and disease. “My computer is not just filled with recipes but also the latest scientific research.”

Photography provided by Palazzo Fuigi

Every day, I took at least two movement classes. After just 20 minutes on the Icaros Virtual Reality machine — a high-tech device that worked muscles I didn’t even know I had — I felt like I had completed an Ironman marathon. During my stay at the Palazzo, I slept hard, averaging 10 hours a night. My days were filled with pampering treatments, including a lifting facial massage that I swear took years off my face. I spent several tranquil hours daily relaxing on a comfy lounge chair in the glass-enclosed pool house. But perhaps the most incredible luxury of my four days at Palazzo Fiuggi was that I spoke to virtually no one except the friendly technicians, trainers and servers and only allowed myself to be on my phone for an hour a day. By the time my detox retreat was over, I felt physically and mentally lighter (I had lost three pounds). I was ready — indeed inspired — to return to everyday life, committed to my new and improved wellness routine. The “cure” had worked miracles.

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.

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