Top 10 Fun Facts About the Roman Baths

One of Italy’s most appealing attractions are the so-called Roman baths.  The Roman baths have attracted millions of visitors throughout the years, and despite their tremendous public appeal,  they hide multiple secrets behind them.

Here is a summary of the top 10 fun facts associated with the unique historical baths of Rome.

Image by TripAdvisor

1 .  The Romans used the baths in a unique manner.

The bath water still flows into the Roman drain and into the local River Avon. Multiple statues of goddesses rise above the water, giving the baths a mysterious feel. Occasionally, you will see birds flowing through the bath windows.

The Roman baths are not just a water tank; they are a whole pool concept in the midst of a wood. The roof of the spring was constructed much later. The spring water can only flow into the baths or in a big spring into the river.

2 .  The Romans conversed with the Goddess of the Baths, Minerva.

Goddess Minerva, Image by England

The Goddess Minerva was an integral element of the Roman Baths. People would visit the baths regularly to beg for justice from the famous Goddess Minerva. They would go as far as to bring her precious gifts such as jewels, and would also throw coins into the sink to ask for her blessing. The visitors would also ask the goddess to take care of their family and themselves. For those who have lost an item or have an item stolen, the Goddess Minerva was the ultimate destination. They would go and ask the Goddess to cause a miracle so that their item could be found.  Moreover, the meeting with Minerva would guarantee that the thief would be punished!

3. The Roman Baths are a source of precious items.

Multiple things have been found in the Spring: brooches, rings, bracelets, vases, and more than 12,000 coins! They were all thrown in by Romans as gifts to honor the Goddess Minerva.

4.  The presence of Gordon is an important bath element.

Image by Digital Digging

The face of Gordon is what the front of the temple resembles. The face of Gordon is the horror face of the god of the waters.  A legend says that Gordon had numerous snakes instead of hairs, and the people who looked at those snakes transformed into stones.

5.  The Roman baths featured a few hot rooms.

One of them was called caldarium, which is a room that was very, very hot because it was heated by an underground heating system. That was the perfect location to sweat a lot if you needed a sauna-style ambiance. The floor is still overheated so make sure you wear wooden shoes to overcome the challenge.  Also, there is another room called tepidarium that is located inside the baths. It features warm water in the pools and adults are happy to soak inside. In this room, you can also rub some olive oil against your body for extra relaxation.

6. Romans enjoyed a few additional extra activities in the room. They didn’t only clean – they engaged in a few extra-curricular activities.

Image by TripSavvy

The Roman baths have plenty of culinary options to pick from, from fruit and juices to oysters and chops. You can play tabula game there, or trigon. You can also share in the laughter with friends and get a massage to relax from the festivities with!

Trigon is a game which involves three balls and three friends – it is really fun and dynamic!

7. The ancient roman baths were excavated in the late 18^th century and then rediscovered.

The spring evolves around 18^th century buildings which have been set up by architects the Elder, the Yiunif, John Wood, father and son.

Besides a major archaeological discovery,  the ancient roman baths are also a big city attraction, attracting crowds from all over the globe.

8. The Roman Baths are not safe for showers or baths nowadays.

The water in the baths passes through still-functioning lead pipes that have been set up by the Romans. So the quality of the available water is not ideal. For those who would like to enjoy the ambiance of the Roman Baths,  there is a luxurious thermal spa that opened its door in September 2004.  This is a perfect escape for modern bathers who wants a flavor the Roman bath experience in a historical set-up. This famous spa water containing 43 minerals.

9. The iconic Roman baths also feature a charming museum that  displays numerous works of art that have been discovered on site.

Image by WritePass

Examples of those include the masterfully carved Gorgon’s Head, the gilded bronzed head of Minerva, as well as the 12,000 Roman coins thrown into the bath to honor the Goddess.

Like we already mentioned, people with various needs would come to the Goddess and provide various kinds of offerings to gain her trust. The Baths are a major tourist attraction and, together with the Grand Pump Room, receive more than one million visitors a year.  The attraction was first featured on the 2005 TV program Seven Natural Wonders as one of the charming wonders of the European continent.

10.  The heart of the Roman Bath complex is the Great Bath, a lead-lined pool filled with steaming, geothermally heated water that wells from the Sacred Spring to a depth of 1.6 meters 5.2 feet.

Though now open-air, the bath would originally have been covered by a 40-meter (130-foot) high, barrel-vaulted roof.

The Roman baths are a unique destination for the seekers of historical vibe and fancy ambiance. They are a fascinating symbol of the Eternal City and are associated with numerous exciting experiences up to date.