Travel Blog 2: Following The Shelleys Through Tuscany

Located halfway between the historic walled city of Lucca and even more famous Pisa sits a small, picturesque village nestled within towering cliffs of limestone and marble. The imposing rock face makes the town feel far removed from both cities, though you are only five kilometres away from either of them; and it is a distance easily covered by car, bus, or rail.

But this is also a town with a rich history all its own.

This is San Giuliano Terme. Terme, or “thermal” in English, refers to the mineral-rich waters that emerge from a hot spring and flow into the town—and the reason for its existence. Filtered through miles of limestone, these waters have long been prized for not only their warmth, but for their healing properties as well.

Appreciation for these Pisa waters (Aquae Pisane) predates Roman occupation. The Etruscans, according to records, first discovered the site and made good use of it. The Romans took things a step further, constructing aqueducts and spa buildings, the remains of which are still standing to this day.

Interest in these therapeutic waters did not wane with time, however. Ongoing use ultimately led to the construction of a grand spa complex which, in the nineteenth century, drew visitors from all across Europe.

Among the more famous visitors were the literary power couple of Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley, who made their home here twice, during the summers of 1820 and 1821. In fact, it was here, in 1821, that Percy Shelley penned

Adonais, his famous elegy to recently-deceased fellow poet and friend John Keats.

There is a plaque for Percy Bysshe Shelley on the apartment building across the street from the spa where the couple lived—on what is now P.B. Shelley Road.

Mary, however, has no such mention. For the creator of Frankenstein, credited with creating both science fiction and Gothic horror genres, there is no plaque, no street name, no reference of any kind.

Maybe it’s because her most seminal work was already behind her by the time she arrived, and that her focus had shifted to motherhood. Still, for admirers of her work such as myself, the omission carries with it a slight chill of indifference. Something which seems at odds, somehow, with the town’s warm, healing waters.