The well built with marble is said to have been cherished as early as in the Roman era. Built-in stone fragment carrying the Latin inscription
(In English, for patients … I enclosed … with a wall)
The area of Rogaska Slatina was already known by Celts and Romans, which has been proven by archaeological excavations and the Roman road leading through Rogaska. A bronze Roman needle with six heads was found in direct proximity of the spring, while some Celtic coins and coins of Roman Emperors were found nearby.
Baron Ivan Ungnad introduces Rogaška water (ROI) to Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor in 16TH century. Ferdinand’s personal doctor Paracelsus (a Swiss German Renaissance physician, botanist and alchemist) was one of the first men to make extensive research of the Rogaška water.
Leonhard Thurneysser (also known as Leonard Thurneisser zum Thurn) carried out the first reported alchemical analysis of the water in 1572 and published it in his book Pison.
In 1665, the Croatian Count Petar Zrinski was in Rogaška hunting. He had a disease called jaundice and problems with his liver, so the locals recommended that he drink this rich mineral water. Legend has it that Count Zrinski drank water from the hollow trunk of a willow tree that was attached to the spring.
After this, Count Zrinski miraculously healed and introduced the Rogaška water to the entire European royalty, fascinating physicians who immediately started exploring the health effects of ROI.
Dr Paul de Sorbait was the court physician, professor at the medical faculty in Vienna and a personal doctor of Emperor Leopold I and Empress Eleonor.
In 1680, Dr Sorbait published a book entitled Praxis Medicae, in which hedescribed the water from Rogaška. He healed his patients very successfully with this water and achieved international glory.
In his book Praxis Medicae, he described the amazing healing effects of this water and called this water "Gottertrank", in English "The God Potion".
Doctors in Vienna started prescribing ROI to high-profile patients, thus ensuring its place in medical practice. There are many written records on how Dr Sorbait healed his patients to full recovery, when no other medicine worked.
In 1687, ROI got its first monograph entitled Roitschocrene.
Which was written by Joannes Benedict Gründel, Phi. & Medicinae Doctor, member of the German academy Naturae Curiosum (one of three major scientific societies along
with the Royal Society (London) and the Academy of Sciences (Paris), but it has the honour of being the oldest of the three; established in 1652).
This was the only monograph about water in Europe at the time.
In 1721, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, awarded a concession for the exploitation of the spring to the Vienna Pharmacists Association, which held it until 1782. During that period, the first technical intervention was completed – the spring was walled in, taking on the appearance of a well.
St. John of Nepomuk
The statue of St. John of Nepomuk was built by pharmacists from Vienna in 1732 in memory of the successful completion of works on the spring.
In the 18TH century, the price of a single bottle ROI was 1 forint and 15 kreutzers or more. Because of this high price, bottles of counterfeit water started appearing on the market. Than The Austrian Empress Maria Theresa decreed in 1774 that every bottle of water from Rogaska must be marked with a label indicating the current year and including a symbol that was to be changed every year.
Empress Maria Theresa also issued a decree stating that the price of the mineral water must be published in the Wiener Zeitung newspaper.
In World Columbian Exposition 1893 (The Chicago World's Fair) ROI water then called Rohitscher Sauerbrunn (German translation of Rogaska Spring) won several awards including award medal for the best quality bottled water in the world.
In 1803, the Rogaška Spa was managed by Count Ferdinand Attems. He bought the lands surrounding the springs from their previous owners and from that point on 1803 is known as the year of the establishment of the spa resort.