The Taurine Baths become part of the Lazio National Museums Regional Directorate. Located north of Civitavecchia, this extraordinary archaeological complex is one of the most fascinating examples of thermal architecture of antiquity. Frequented since Etruscan times and later transformed by the Romans into a refined wellness center-they now represent a valuable testimony to the spa culture and social life of ancient Rome.
The complex experienced its greatest splendor during the reign ofEmperor Hadrian, who promoted a grandiose expansion: monumental rooms equipped with heated pools, floors and walls thermally active thanks to the hypocaust system, a covered pool surmounted by a majestic cross vault, and decorations in precious marbles, stucco and polychrome plaster were built.
The thermal path was divided into rooms such as the tepidarium, laconicum, calidarium and large heated locker rooms. Outside, spaces dedicated to cold baths, massages. One particular room called heliocaminus, exploited solar heat for sweat baths.
Legend has it that the hot springs were made to flow from a divine bull: it is from this mythical origin that the name “Taurine” derives. But in addition to myth, history delivers an extraordinary reality: in fact, it is believed that the site may have been part of an imperial villa mentioned by Pliny the Younger, further confirmation of the prestige and relevance of this area in Roman times.
After the end of the Roman Empire, the baths went into decline and were abandoned following the Gothic wars.
Covering about two hectares, the complex represents an important example of Roman thermal culture and its social and therapeutic role. With this acquisition, the Taurine Spa become the second important state site in Civitavecchia, along with the National Archaeological Museum, consolidating the presence of the Ministry of Culture in the area and enhancing an area of great historical and tourist importance.
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| Civitavecchia, the Taurine Baths become part of the Regional Directorate National Museums Lazio |
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