Preventori d'Aigües

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Former Aigües Spa (2006)

The Preventori d'Aigües or Balneari d'Aigües ( Valencian ) or Preventorio de Aguas de Busot or Balneario de Aguas de Busot ( Spanish ) is a former thermal bath and later a sanatorium on the Spanish Costa Blanca . It is located on the outskirts of the municipality of Aigües in the province of Alicante , at the foot of the Cabeçó d'Or mountain range .

history

It is not known when the thermal springs were discovered. Chronicles speak of the fact that the Morisks of Aigües were guaranteed the use of the springs in the 15th century.

The oldest surviving document is dated November 30, 1596. It gives ownership of the thermal springs to the city of Alicante .

In 1816 the Conde de Torrellano had a luxurious spa and hotel built on the site. The main building that still exists today dates from 1838 and was built by the architect Pedro García Faria. In the surrounding park, the Conde de Casas Rojas built small bathhouses.

At the end of the 19th century, the spa was one of the classiest addresses in Spain. England's Queen Victoria and members of the Spanish royal family spent their holidays here.

A dispute over property between the city of Alicante and the Conde de Casa Rojas (also called Marqués de Bosch) was judged in 1865 in favor of the Conde de Casa Rojas.

In 1936 the hotel was closed and a nun-run sanatorium for children with tuberculosis moved into the building .

In 1965, when tuberculosis in Spain was largely defeated, the sanatorium closed. At that time the formerly sophisticated building was looted: residents dragged furniture, fittings and entire marble stairs out of the house.

In 1973 the Spanish Society for the Control of Tuberculosis had plans to restore and expand the sanatorium. However, these have not been put into practice.

In 1989 the municipality of Aigües auctioned the buildings. The company Prognosis from Madrid bought it with the intention of setting up a senior citizens' residence with thermal baths. However, as the company let the building deteriorate, they got into a dispute with the municipality of Aigües.

In 2006, the building contractor Valentín Botella, president of the Hércules Alicante football club , bought the building.

Current state

Rear view
Side view

The Aigües spa has been falling into disrepair since the 1990s. It is frequently visited by young people as well as adherents of the occult and the esoteric movement. The local press reported several times about spiritualistic meetings and black masses that were held in the building.

Many parts of the main building show signs of vandalism . The roof structure burned out at the beginning of the 21st century. The temporary owners tore down several outbuildings and the chapel built in the 19th century for the spa guests. The swimming pool was also filled in.

According to press reports, the new owner is apparently planning to build a complex of luxury holiday apartments on the site.

Rumors about the thermal bath

There are numerous modern legends circulating on the Internet about the Preventori d'Aigües. Parapsychologists even want to photograph ghosts and tape the groans of the dead who died of tuberculosis there. There is also talk of strange changes in videos and photos taken in the dilapidated building. Amateur filmmakers used the balneario as a backdrop for horror strips.

literature

  • A. Fernández: División vecinal por el proyecto de lujo del balneario de Aigües . In: Información (Alicante), January 31, 2007.
  • Sergi Castillo: Aigües de Busot convertirá un balneario en 1,000 apartamentos . In: El Pais, October 14, 2006
  • Mariano González Ambou: El negocio del balneario de Aigües . In: Información (Alicante), January 31, 2007.
  • Bernhard Hampp: On the decline of elegance . In: Costa Blanca Rundschau No. 23/2006, June 10, 2006, ISSN  1699-1451 , p. 33.

Web links

Coordinates: 38 ° 29 ′ 56 ″  N , 0 ° 21 ′ 46 ″  W.