The first to benefit from the therapeutic properties of Grado’s sun and sand were members of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy; in 1892, when the facilities were already operational, the Imperial Royal Austro-Hungarian Government which administered the island at the time, officially recognised Grado as a health resort, including it in the official list of health resorts within the Habsburg Empire. Meanwhile, a summer camp for children with lymphatic ailments was founded in the town, offering relief with thalassotherapy. The 1960s were a real boom period for the town, which became a favourite destination for well-known Italian and international sports stars.