Probably from Paleolithic times the region was frequented by itinerant hunters, but only from the Mesolithic period is there evidence of numerous settlements, especially in the hills of the Valdievole.

There is also proof in a letter sent by the merchant Francesco di Marco Datini in which he requests from his doctor the healing water of the Montecatini baths.

The battles locally between Florence, Pisa and Lucca, often forced townsfolk to seek refuge to the surrounding hills, because the town was the scene of continuous clashes.

In 1339, the Valdinievole was conquered by the Florentine armies led by the Medici in Florence, but this did not bring rapid benefits to the Baths and the City of Montecatini.

In fact, in 1554, it was the center of the clash between the emperor Charles V, allied with Cosimo I, and the Sienese and French militias which, under the command of Pietro Strozzi, were stationed in the castle of Montecatini.

Since the consort of Cosimo, Eleonora of Toledo, made frequent use of the waters of Montecatini, the Medici had the baths analyzed by their agents.

As a result, there were lawsuits to defend the residents of the area and to enable them to pay for the reclamation of the padule with the money they recovered.

To solve the problem it was necessary to settle the land near the padule by channeling the springs that were stagnating in the Valdinievole and invigorating the agriculture and livestock.

In 1765, with the death of Francesco, Pietro Leopoldo assumed the title of Grand Duke, as his mother, Maria Teresa of Austria, had scrupulously prepared him for the responsibilities of reigning.

He went several times to Montecatini to understand first-hand the problems of the Valdinievole and as a result the story of the baths began with the Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany.

On 1 March 1790 he left Florence to return for Vienna to succeed his brother Josef who had died.The third Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Duke was Ferdinando III who came to rule when only 21 years old.

Restored to rule on 10 June 1817, Ferdinando decreed the Bagni di Montecatini complex was granted to the community and they were given money to keep them efficient.

On 18 June 1818 the baths were put under the management of a committee up of esteemed people of the time, including Giuseppe Giusti's father.

When Ferdinando III died, he was succeeded by Leopold II who is remembered for the reclamation work in the Maremma and for the construction of railways and roads.

In 1970 the baths remained open all year, but from that moment on there has been a slow decline until today, when the fashion for visiting the spa has clearly diminished.

It is a truncated shield: the first version is of Montecatini which is blue and mounted on six small Italian hills, supporting two gold lions surrounded by an oval silver shield laden with a red lily, facing each other and holding a red basin; in the second version everything is handled in silver and blue.

There are 11 thermal springs in the area around Montecatini Terme, with temperatures ranging from 24 to 33.4 degrees C.[5] Of those, six have been used for their supposed therapeutic qualities.