The history of the waters of Lurisia, a thermal resort in the municipality of Roccaforte Mondovì, began in the early 20th century. Miners working at the foot of Mount Pigna to detach the lòse (flat, thin slabs of stone) used in construction found that their wounds soon healed thanks to the local water gushing from the rocks. Word got around that the waters of Lurisia had 'magical' properties and some doctors and researchers began studying the area.  

It turns out that the portentous element is autunite, a mineral with radioactive properties found in the cavities of the ground. The Italian government, intrigued by these studies, then called in the most respected scientist of the time, a Nobel Prize winner in physics and chemistry for her studies on radioactivity: Marie Curie.

Having completed studies in Ischia and Montecatini, the French-Polish scholar arrived in Lurisia in August 1918 to validate the beneficial properties of these extraordinary springs. In fact, her work proved that these radio-emanating waters have unique therapeutic properties, sparking the great success of this place and huge interest in it.

The hydrothermal institute was founded more than twenty years later, in 1940, becoming a point of reference for wellness and relaxation for ordinary people and also for important personalities, such as the President of the Republic Giovanni Gronchi or architect Giò Ponti. Today, in addition to the renowned spa, Lurisia water is also bottled and sold throughout Italy, strictly controlled to maintain its properties safely.