There is a smell that those who grew up between Pavia and the Oltrepò Pavese know well: that pungent and unmistakable sulfur that wafted into the air as soon as you crossed the gate of the Terme di Salice. A perfume that was not just chemistry, but story, memory, belonging. For entire generations, that establishment with its Art Nouveau shapes and well-kept gardens was much more than a spa centre: it was a place of the soul, a fixed point in the identity of an entire territory.
Then, in November 2017, the gates closed. And with them something more difficult to quantify also ended: the liveliness of a country, the impact of an entire local economy, the thin thread that held community and history together. The following years were marked by uncertainty, by projects announced and never started, by the grass growing undisturbed in the avenues once frequented by thousands of guests. Salice Terme, which for decades had been nicknamed “little Switzerland” for the elegance of its services and tourist quality, seemed condemned to become just a memory.
But something, finally, is really changing.
A structural project
This week the bulldozers went into action. The Terme & Spa Italia group, led by the entrepreneur Massimo Caputi, has concretely started the redevelopment works of the historic establishment. The most visible sign is the demolition of the old caretaker’s house in via Diviani: in its place a public square of approximately 1,600 square meters will be created, a new entrance and a new point of reference for the town. A square that will be handed over to the Municipality and designed as a living space: concerts, markets, events. The main entrance will no longer be on Viale delle Terme, but right on Via Diviani, changing the physical relationship between the factory and the surrounding urban fabric.
The relaunch plan involves an investment of more than 18 million euros and is developed under the supervision of the Superintendence, to guarantee the existing architectural heritage. This is not a superficial renovation: static consolidations, conservative restorations, complete refunctionalization of the interiors, new areas for well-being and therapy. On the ground floor there will be four covered thermal pools of different sizes, designed for both therapeutic sessions and relaxation. On the upper floor there will be wellness suites with personalized treatments. Two new wings will complete the structure, one of which is dedicated to catering, for a total area of approximately 3,200 square metres.
The dates to mark in the diary
The works will follow a precise timetable. The new square will be completed between February and October 2026. Internal demolitions will begin between October and December. Between November 2026 and March 2027 the actual redevelopment will take shape. The reopening is set for April 26, 2027.
It is worth remembering what the closure meant for the Oltrepò Pavese: not just an empty building, but a real drop in attendance, suffering commercial activities, a sense of abandonment that had discouraged even those who would have wanted to invest in the area. Reopening won’t solve everything, but it can get something moving again. Quality tourism that comes from Lombardy, Piedmont and nearby Switzerland, one more reason to stop in an area that has a lot to offer and which in recent years has struggled to make it known.
For those who grew up in these parts, seeing bulldozers at work is not news like any other. It is the return of a place that was missing.
