Thermalism in the Roman Provinces

This book is focused on the role of thermal establishments with mineral-medicinal waters in the different territories of the Roman Empire, including their symbiosis with the landscape as well as the ways in which their construction was adapted to give greater comfort to those who came to take advantage of their health-giving properties.

Thermal establishments with mineral-medicinal waters represent a special case among Roman bath buildings, not only because of the adaptation of the space to the use of these waters for health issues, but also because of the infrastructures and engineering they developed, as well as for their function in the landscape. Thermalism in the Roman Provinces is focused on the role of thermal establishments with mineral-medicinal waters in the different territories of the Roman Empire, including their symbiosis with the landscape as well as the ways in which their construction was adapted to give greater comfort to those who came to take advantage of their health-giving properties. But, what was the role that these sites fulfilled in each province? Why was so much effort invested in the construction of these thermal complexes in the Roman period? What elements might inform us about the singularities of their construction in adapting to the characteristics of these waters? These and other questions are analysed through different thermal sites, with a particular focus on the origins of thermalism in Roman times. The monograph aims to deepen our understanding of the beginnings of these practices, to present new data and to promote knowledge of an extremely fragile archaeological and cultural heritage as a part of the history and development regions across the Mediterranean.

Introduction - Silvia Gonzalez Soutelo 1. Adaptations to Topographical and Geological Conditions. Healing Spas over the Territory The Roman Thermal Spa of Aquae Iasae, Varazdinske Toplice (Croatia) - Dora KUsAN sPALJ and Nikoleta PEROK Healing Spas in the Arverni Territory (France, Auvergne Rhone Alpes) - Lise AUGUSTIN-ROLLAND, Elise NECTOUX, Helene DARTEVELLE, Bertrand DOUSTEYSSIER, Elise FOVET and Gabriel ROCQUE Nunc Baias Petamus. A Visit to the Roman Elite Spa Town from an Archaeological Perspective - Matthias NIEBERLE Architecture Adapted to Thermal Springs Some Examples of Roman Engineering Solutions to Thermo-Mineral Water Abstraction in the Western Empire - Matteo MARCATO and Silvia GONZALEZ SOUTELO The Use of Thermal and Medicinal Waters in Aquincum (Budapest, Hungary) - Gabriella FENYES The Role of Statues in the Thermal Springs of the Province of Asia During the Roman Imperial Period - Ahmet YARAS and Gamze USKUPLU AKGUL 2. Healing Spas in Context. The Role of Bathing Establishments in the Territory Banja Bansko (r. North Macedonia) Through Time and Space - Vane P. SEKULOV Ceremonial Buildings at Thermo-Mineral Springs: the Example of Via Scavi at Montegrotto Terme - Maddalena BASSANI Aquae Helveticae Becomes Baden (switzerland). from the Roman Vicus to the Medieval Town - Andrea SCHAER Repositioning a Spa in Space and Time: the Bagneres-de-Bigorre Spa (Hautes-Pyrenees, France) - Laurent COSTA and Richard SABATIER Space and Place Around the Sacred Pool of Bagno Grande at San Casciano Dei Bagni (toscany, Italy) - Jacopo TABOLLI and Emanuele MARIOTTI Transformation of Residential Architecture into Private and Public Baths in Late Antique Baiae - Gioconda DI LUCA The Roman Healing Spa of Termas De Sao Vicente (Penafiel, Portugal) and Its Surroundings in Roman Times and Late Antiquity - Teresa SOEIRO, Silvia GONZALEZ SOUTELO, Helena BERNARDO and Jorge SAMPAIO The Exploitation of Natural Resources at Aquae Flauiae (Chaves, Portugal) - Sergio CARNEIRO 3. Healing Spas and Ancient Roads. Pilgrims and Visitors to Thermal Sites. Ad Aquas... Some Observations on the Correlation Between Accessibility and Development of Thermal Sites in Roman Thrace - Mariya AVRAMOVA Thermalism and Road System in the African Roman Provinces. a Focus on Roman Algeria - Paola ZANOVELLO and Jacopo TURCHETTO,

Introduction – Silvia González Soutelo

1. Adaptations to Topographical and Geological Conditions. Healing Spas over the Territory

The Roman Thermal Spa of Aquae Iasae, Varaždinske Toplice (Croatia) – Dora KUŠAN ŠPALJ and Nikoleta PEROK

Healing Spas in the Arverni Territory (France, Auvergne Rhône Alpes) – Lise AUGUSTIN-ROLLAND, Élise NECTOUX, Hélène DARTEVELLE, Bertrand DOUSTEYSSIER, Élise FOVET and Gabriel ROCQUE

Nunc Baias Petamus. A Visit to the Roman Elite Spa Town from an Archaeological Perspective – Matthias NIEBERLE

Architecture Adapted to Thermal Springs Some Examples of Roman Engineering Solutions to Thermo-Mineral Water Abstraction in the Western Empire – Matteo MARCATO and Silvia GONZÁLEZ SOUTELO

The Use of Thermal and Medicinal Waters in Aquincum (Budapest, Hungary) – Gabriella FÉNYES

The Role of Statues in the Thermal Springs of the Province of Asia During the Roman Imperial Period – Ahmet YARAŞ and Gamze ÜSKÜPLÜ AKGÜL

2. Healing Spas in Context. The Role of Bathing Establishments in the Territory

Banja Bansko (r. North Macedonia) Through Time and Space – Vane P. SEKULOV

Ceremonial Buildings at Thermo-Mineral Springs: the Example of Via Scavi at Montegrotto Terme – Maddalena BASSANI

Aquae Helveticae Becomes Baden (switzerland). from the Roman Vicus to the Medieval Town – Andrea SCHAER

Repositioning a Spa in Space and Time: the Bagneres-de-Bigorre Spa (Hautes-Pyrénées, France) – Laurent COSTA and Richard SABATIER

Space and Place Around the Sacred Pool of Bagno Grande at San Casciano Dei Bagni (toscany, Italy) – Jacopo TABOLLI and Emanuele MARIOTTI

Transformation of Residential Architecture into Private and Public Baths in Late Antique Baiae – Gioconda DI LUCA

The Roman Healing Spa of Termas De São Vicente (Penafiel, Portugal) and Its Surroundings in Roman Times and Late Antiquity – Teresa SOEIRO, Silvia GONZÁLEZ SOUTELO, Helena BERNARDO and Jorge SAMPAIO

The Exploitation of Natural Resources at Aquae Flauiae (Chaves, Portugal) – Sérgio CARNEIRO

3. Healing Spas and Ancient Roads. Pilgrims and Visitors to Thermal Sites.

Ad Aquas… Some Observations on the Correlation Between Accessibility and Development of Thermal Sites in Roman Thrace – Mariya AVRAMOVA

Thermalism and Road System in the African Roman Provinces. a Focus on Roman Algeria – Paola ZANOVELLO and Jacopo TURCHETTO

Silvia Gonzalez Soutelo is a lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain), where she leads a Spanish National project on Roman thermal heritage entitled Thermascape (PID2022-138809NB-I00). She graduated in Archaeology from the University of Barcelona and gained a PhD in History (Archaeology/Ancient History) from the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela cum laude, receiving an Extraordinary Doctorate Award. She has also coordinated the ‘Tomas y Valiente’ project, ‘Healing spas in Antiquity’, from which emerged the website www.healingspasinantiquity.es, designed to encourage the creation of an international network on ancient thermalism and as a forum for the development of specific studies on Roman spas.

• Edited by Silvia González Soutelo