Acqua Fiuggi

Acqua Fiuggi is a natural Italian mineral water produced in Fiuggi, in the province of Frosinone (city
in the middle of Italy, close to Rome), known worldwide for its beneficial properties.
The spring of Fiuggi water, formerly called Anticoli, located in the Monti Ernici, was already known in
Roman times. History tells that the miraculous water relieved the sorrows of kings, nobles and ambassadors.
The 1549 letter written by Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was suffering from kidney stones, is one of the oldest testimonies of the benefits obtained by drinking Fiuggi water. Pope Boniface VIII, who was born in Ciociaria and knew the spring well, also made use of this healthy water. It was thanks to him, in the 13th century, that Fiuggi water achieved its true popularity.
Towards the end of the 19th century, mass distribution of Fiuggi water began, which was followed by the registration of the brand name in 1889.
Studies on the beneficial and curative properties of the water, which is distinguished from others by a very low concentration of salts and the presence of gases that help dissolve kidney stones, date back to the same period.
1905 coincides with the registration of the trademark and the establishment of the Fiuggi Limited Company, to which the modern history of the town of Fiuggi and the said water is traced.
In the 1950s, the use of bottled water in the treatment of urinary tract disorders was attested. In the  1990s, these studies consolidated its curative potential. The water was also recognised for hydroponic therapy, so Fiuggi has an important and very ancient thermal complex consisting of two springs: the Bonifacio VIII spring and the Fonte Anticolana. The first was built at the beginning of the century in Art Nouveau style. At the end of the 1950s it was enlarged by architect Luigi Moretti (known for having built the Watergate building in Washington). The second one, also known as Fonte Nuova, was opened in 1920 and is located within a vast natural park. Both complexes provide curative as well as purifying paths with the aforementioned water.
Today, Acqua Fiuggi has a widespread distribution through supermarkets, grocery shops and pharmacies throughout Italy. Abroad, in addition to strengthening its presence in historic markets such as Canada, the United States and Australia, the company is progressively expanding its presence in new markets such as Russia, China and the Arab Emirates. 

Within the collection presented here, which includes brand design and advertising production, we note how Acqua Fiuggi perfectly adapts to the influences of the times, thus reaching an increasingly broader, as well as younger, public. If we dwell on the first brand (1889), the influence of art nouveau is clear  thanks to the decorative motifs framing the landscape of what was then Anticoli; although more odern elements such as the sticks font are also present. The technique is that of chromolithography, if not  other older engraving techniques. It is fascinating to note how through the evolution of the mark, it is also possible to trace the history of the village. The decorative line at least until the 1940s when, consistent with the influences of the time, the communicative language became increasingly streamlined. The decorative aesthetics developed switched from a deco moment to the fascist propaganda in which the Italian character of the product was put to the fore. From the 1950s it found
its full expression in the photographic aesthetic, characterised by a certain cleanliness and airiness
of composition. The characters float in space and counterbalance each other with a clear and  uncluttered font. The use of sans serif typefaces, the relationship between texts and photos, the presence of abstract elements (such as bubbles) within the page, these details seem to recall the ‘Neue
Grafik’ and the International Style of contemporary modernist graphic design.

Sources:

CARLO D’AMICO (Fiuggi, settembre 2005) La
storia delle Fonti
 

http://fiuggi.altervista.org/la-storia-delle-fonti.html

Beverfood (20 settembre 2018) Alla scoperta delle
acque storiche d’Italia: Fiuggi

https://www.beverfood.com/scoperta-acque-
storiche-italia-fiuggi-wd122685/
 

Francesco Buono (3 agosto 2018) Storia e proprietà
dell’acqua Fiuggi
 

https://www.agenziacomunica.net/2018/08/03/
storia-e-proprieta-dellacqua-di-fiuggi/
 

Giovanni Giuliani (25 settembre 2022) Fiuggi, così
è nato il piano per il Marchio Storico
 

https://www.alessioporcu.it/articoli/fiuggi-cosi-enato-
il-piano-per-il-marchio-storico/
 

Fiuggi
 

https://www.bereacqua.org/acque/fiuggi/