Crodo, the main town in the Antigorio Valley, is known throughout Italy for a curious reason: this is where Crodino, one of the country’s best-known non-alcoholic aperitifs, was born.
The waters discovered by crusaders
Crodo’s renown stems from its mineral waters, which flow from three distinct springs: Fonte Valle d’Oro, Lisiel and Fonte Monte Cistella. According to tradition, the properties of these waters were discovered during the Crusades, when knights returning from the Holy Land, travelling along the ancient Salt Road and exhausted by the journey and intestinal ailments, quenched their thirst at the local springs and found miraculous relief.
From chemical analysis to the modern spa industry
The more recent history of Crodo’s spa begins in 1834, when Giuseppe Gaetano Giovaninetti, an employee of the Royal Post Office, commissioned the chemist Bianchetti to analyse the waters of the “Fonte Rossa”. However, it was only in the mid-20th century, thanks to Piero Ginocchi, that the old spa establishment was transformed into a modern mineral water industry.
The birth of Crodino
In 1964, Piero Ginocchi himself, president and owner of the Terme di Crodo, came up with the idea of creating a non-alcoholic aperitif with a distinctive taste, capable of becoming a calling card for the area’s mineral waters. Thus Crodino was born, still carrying the name of this Antigorio Valley village throughout Italy today.
Crodo, gateway to the Antigorio Valley
Crodo lies in the Antigorio Valley, on the road leading up towards Alpe Devero and the Formazza Valley. To learn more about the history and visits related to the spa, refer to the Municipality of Crodo.
After stopping at the springs, the vineyards on the Ossola valley floor are just a short distance away: an opportunity for a tasting quite different from that of mineral waters.
A village shaped by water
Even today, Crodo retains an identity strongly tied to its springs: walking through the village, you will come across public fountains supplied by the same mineral waters that made the place famous, allowing visitors to taste first-hand what has shaped the history of this corner of the Antigorio Valley.
An industrial heritage to visit
Some historic facilities linked to Crodo’s mineral water production are now the focus of enhancement initiatives, with the aim of telling visitors about the evolution of an activity that has profoundly shaped the village’s economy and identity over the past century and a half.
A brand known throughout Italy
Few other villages of a similar size can boast such a direct connection with a brand known throughout Italy as Crodino: a success story that, together with the spa heritage, has helped make Crodo a familiar name far beyond the borders of the Ossola Valley.
One final note: visitors to Crodo can easily combine the discovery of its mineral waters with a hike towards the upper Antigorio Valley, for a day that brings together relaxation and outdoor activities.
Water, history and a touch of non-alcoholic irony: welcome to Crodo.
Water and irony, a truly Ossola pairing.
One final note on Crodo: the success of Crodino shows how a small mountain village can give rise to a brand known throughout Italy.
Water and irony, a truly Ossola pairing to savour.
Water and irony, a truly Ossola pairing to savour.
Crodo, famous for its spa and for being the home of the eponymous Crodino, brings together a wellness tradition and drinking culture in one village. The area’s thermal springs have been known since the 19th century, when the first visitors began arriving in the valley specifically for the properties of its waters, laying the foundations for the spa tourism that still characterises the village today.
Walks around Crodo also offer the chance to discover small rural hamlets that have preserved the atmosphere of times gone by.
