Gallo-Roman Baths of Tours
The Gallo-Roman baths of Tours were public bathhouses that, during the High Empire and for some until the end of the Roman Empire—none of them "survived" beyond that—were in operation in the ancient city of Caesarodunum, which would later become Tours. While these baths had long been widely accepted, their exact location began to be more clearly established in the 1980s. Two monumental complexes were partially uncovered during excavations conducted between 1974 and 1979 for one, located in the northeast of the open city of the High Empire, which archaeologists refer to as the "Eastern Baths," and between 1999 and 2002 for the other, located in the south and called the "Southern Baths." Although excavations have not determined their exact extent, they seem to be located on the periphery of the ancient city or, at the very least, away from the most densely built-up areas. The Southern Baths were probably situated along one of the main roads of Caesarodunum, while the Eastern Baths were built along the Loire River. One or even two other public baths, of smaller size, may have existed—one to the west of the city and another to the south—but the evidence for their existence is very weak. The architecture of all these bath complexes is poorly understood, as excavations have only revealed a very small portion of their structures. Likewise, the details of how they were connected to water supply and drainage networks remain highly uncertain. The remains of the Eastern Baths, which have been preserved, were reburied (it is possible to uncover them again in the future), whereas those of the Southern Baths were sealed under modern constructions after archaeological study. The rare masonry structures attributed to the baths located in the west are visible in an archaeological garden that traces the history of the site, which has been occupied almost continuously since Antiquity. The very tenuous evidence of a fourth thermal establishment disappeared after being studied.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Gallo-Roman Baths of Tours (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).Gallo-Roman Baths of Tours
Rue Émile Zola, Tours Tours Centre
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| Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|
| N 47.393611111111 ° | E 0.68916666666667 ° |
Address
Rue Émile Zola 10
37000 Tours, Tours Centre
Centre-Val de Loire, France
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