Author: Giovanni Polizzi

The practice of thermal bathing is a characteristic feature of Roman culture, so much so that buildings associated with the thermal baths were an essential element in all cities of the empire, especially in the newly founded ones. Wherever they went, Roman settlers brought with them several elements of their culture, and the practice of bathing was a must.

Many of the Roman provincial cities had abundant mineral or natural springs. For example, in the cities of Aix-en-Provence and Aix-les-Bains in France, Baden-Baden in Germany, and Bath in England. In all cases, these were cities whose place names already indicate the presence of baths. These were fed by natural thermal water or artificially heated water from specially constructed hydraulic infrastructures (large reservoirs or aqueducts).

Roman bathing culture is the further development of bathing practices already known in the Greek world. The first public baths spread in Rome as early as the 3rd century BC.