Ancient Roman thermal baths - structure, features of use, effects on the body. Roman baths What are baths in ancient Rome briefly

The ancient Romans were among the first to build rooms designed specifically for washing, steaming and relaxing. They called their baths thermal baths, since the place for construction was always chosen near springs thermal waters, of which there were a great many on the territory of Ancient Rome. Moreover, preference was given to those sources in which the temperature was similar to the natural temperature of the human body, that is, 35-37 degrees.

In ancient times, Roman baths were built near thermal springs.

Heating Features

The Roman bath was characterized by a rather original heating system. To maintain optimal temperature conditions, thermal water was used, which was supplied to the baths through pipes, thus heating the room. The water temperature in the pool was also maintained by thermal waters.

Below, under the floor of the Roman baths, there were boilers with water and stoves, hot steam flowed through pipes into the steam room. The heated air went into the double floor, and then through ceramic pipes built into the wall into the steam room. Therefore, the thermal bath warmed up very well.

Another feature of Roman baths is the high humidity of some rooms, reaching 100%. Therefore, to produce steam, there was always a stove in the center of the hall.

Roman baths premises

Public baths of ancient Rome were a cult place, striking in its size. There were about six main rooms directly related to bath procedures.

The first room was called apodytherium - this is a kind of dressing room, that is, a cool room where vacationers undressed and left their clothes.

Next we had to visit the tepidarium, where the temperature was already around 40°. In this rather warm room, it was possible to warm up so that the body did not receive a sharp shock from the high temperature of the steam room. There was also a swimming pool where you could swim and improve your physical fitness.

The next room to go to was the callidarium, with the temperature already around 60 - 70°. This is a humid, steamy room where the body heats up, intense sweating and, as a result, accumulated toxins are removed. This room also included a pool with warm thermal water.

If desired, the vacationer could also visit a hotter, drier steam room called laconium, where the temperature remained around 85°. Since the air here is dry and hot, it was not recommended to spend more than 10 minutes in the laconium.

After the hot air of the steam room, you could rest and relax in a cool room called the frigidarium, where there was always a swimming pool with cold water.

The prototype of a modern spa salon can be considered a lavarium - a room where people rubbed themselves with oils, doused themselves with water and performed massage treatments.

The Roman Bath Therma is designed for communication

The Roman bath was intended not only for bathing, but also for socializing, which is why they were so large.

The Roman bath of yesteryear represented a unique center of public life. Here they not only steamed and swam, but also relaxed their souls and enjoyed communication. In the huge rooms there are thermal baths for cultural life The Romans provided libraries, rest rooms, gymnasiums, and massage rooms.

To delight the eyes of vacationers, the interior was distinguished by extraordinary luxury. Just look at the cost of expensive marble basins, basins made of gold or silver, washstands made of precious metals! The Roman baths were decorated with sculptures, paintings, hanging gardens, entire systems of fountains.

Modern thermal baths

A Roman bath involves several rooms with different temperatures.

It is worth recognizing that modern baths, unfortunately, do not have much in common with their ancient predecessors. Of course, some features have been preserved, but the scale has been much reduced, and the heating principle is different.

In any case, Roman baths are not a cheap pleasure, because they must have several rooms with different air temperatures and humidity, and there must also be at least 2 large pools in which you can swim, and not just take a dip. In addition, for cladding the internal surfaces in the classic version of the Roman bath, only marble, natural stones, and expensive mosaics are used.

In real thermal baths there must be special, special heated loungers, fountains and, of course, thermal springs. That is why it is very difficult to realize the idea of ​​​​building a classic Roman bath. Currently, more budget options are most often built, which can be called Roman baths, unfortunately, with a large degree of convention.

Roman baths, one of the oldest types of baths, passed through the depths of centuries and, despite this, preserved almost in its original form, personified the crown of wealth and technical thought of Ancient Rome. From the moment of their creation, Roman baths occupied an important place in the life of society: visiting them was a tradition for both the emperor and the ordinary Roman.

The baths were not just an ordinary hygienic building, it was something reminiscent of a club: sports competitions were held here, small talk was held, literary readings took place and heated philosophical debates flared up. The Roman baths of the term were unique for their time in that access to them was open to everyone, and the cleansing of both body and soul was placed at the forefront, so a lot of attention was paid not only to the sequence water procedures, but also the environment in which this ritual, refined to the details, took place. Each Roman emperor considered it his duty to build baths, trying to surpass his predecessors in the luxury of decoration and the scale of the construction, thus wanting to earn the recognition of the people. Meanwhile, noble patricians had their own baths, competing in sophistication and grandeur: they were decorated with precious metals, stones and exquisite materials. Daily visits to the baths were considered mandatory, and high-ranking nobles visited them 2-3 times a day.

Despite centuries of oblivion, today you can easily find real Roman baths in Moscow, worthy of attention even an imperial person - you are invited to visit the Bannaya Estate! Following the traditions of the ancient Romans, we have recreated an authentic environment of luxury and tranquility. Huge marble panels and cornices, numerous columns and decorative forged grilles - all this amazes the imagination with its monumental execution and conveys the spirit of that era. Upon entering the thermal baths, you find yourself in a kingdom of bliss and comfort: a charming hostess greets you at the door and, following tradition, washes the feet of each guest and offers a treat - wine and olives. After the preliminary procedures, you are taken from the apodyterium locker room to the tepidarium, a large warm room, for ablution and warming up before entering the laconicum steam room. Laconicum is a specially designed room with vaulted ceilings, here you can get both dry and wet steam. Vaping in the laconicum is very soft, an easily adjustable climate will allow you to achieve maximum comfort. All the features of steaming in a laconicum will be revealed by our experienced bathhouse attendants. After the hot laconicum, the invigorating atmosphere of the frigidarium awaits you, where you can refresh yourself after a steam bath in a pool with cold water and a waterfall, then return to take a steam bath in the laconicum or leisurely relax in the tepidarium. A massage performed by the owner of the apartment, a beautiful hetaera, will help complement the relaxing effect.

A special highlight of the baths from Usadba Bannaya is the steam room with jadeite, a semi-precious stone famous for its healing steam. Entire works were written about the healing properties of jadeite in Ancient Rome, but only the richest nobles and the emperor could afford this stone in the steam room. And today every Muscovite and city guest can visit the Roman baths in the Estate to enjoy healing properties"imperial" stone.

The sophistication of the interior of the baths and the recreated traditions of steaming will help you feel like a great Roman emperor and taste all the joy of life. Like the baths of the ancient Romans, the Roman baths from Usadba offer a full range of have a nice holiday. Chic celebrations, rich feasts, intimate conversations and business meetings in an atmosphere of luxury and bliss will make them pleasant and memorable. The Roman baths at the Bannaya Manor are baths worthy of emperors!



When greeting a friend, the Chinese usually asked: “Have you eaten?”, the Persian wished from the bottom of his heart: “Be always cheerful!”, and the Roman asked: “How are you sweating?”

Undoubtedly, in no other country did the “bath industry” reach such a scale as in Ancient Rome. And I have never acquired such a well-thought-out, clear system anywhere. There was a time when in ancient Rome they only built private, home baths. Only people with income could afford such a bathhouse right next to their home. A small dressing room led into a hotly heated room - also small sizes, - where the “bath procedure” actually took place. It was believed that it could only be truly hot in... a dark bathhouse.

Over time, private baths became more comfortable and luxurious. The one who did not have precious marble sparkling on the walls of the bathhouse, water did not flow from silver taps and the sun did not pour in through the huge window all day long considered himself a pitiful poor man. So the need for a hygienic and healthy procedure was increasing, but, as before, not everyone could afford a bathhouse. Then, starting from the 3rd century BC, public baths began to be built. At first, such baths were not particularly comfortable. By the end of the 1st century BC, there were already more than 150 public baths in Rome, and by the 4th century AD there were already about a thousand of them.


Artist A.-T. Lawrence, Baths of Caracalla
The bathhouse was first used for medicinal purposes in the 2nd century BC. The outstanding Roman physician of that time, Asclepiades, said:

“The patient is obliged to recover if his doctors - cleanliness, moderate gymnastics, sweating in the bathhouse, massage, diet and walks in the fresh air.”


Then, for the first time, doctors began to notice that the “bath procedure” improves blood circulation and thereby increases vitality.

Thermal Baths

In Pompeii there were baths - Forum and Stabiev. The Forumskys have preserved an inscription indicating that they were built by the magistrate at his expense. In front of the entrance there is a small park where you could play with a ball, do gymnastics and relax after the “bath procedure”. In the Stabian Baths there is a large sports ground modeled on the Greek palaestra.

Pompeian baths are ordinary, not very large, of which the Romans had many. You enter the dressing room - apodytherium(from the Greek "I rent") - an oblong room with a vaulted ceiling and moldings. There is a colorful rainbow of mosaics on the floor. There are shelves for clothes along the walls. In the niche of the window is an impressive mask of Neptune.

From the apodyterium you can go to the pools - frigidarium(with cold water) or in tepidarium(with warm). The pool is small - a diameter of about 4.5 meters and a depth of only 1.3 meters. We went down the steps into this font. The frigidarium was located under a blue dome, onto which the sun's rays fell. The feeling is as if you are not under a roof, but under the blue sky, in a blooming garden, because the walls of the pool are lined with mosaics with images of flowers and trees, between which birds flutter.


Artist A.-T. Lawrence, Frigidarium
From the apodyterium there was another passage - into the hot room, where the bath-goers gradually began to sweat. Interestingly, the room heated up almost as much as in our small baths and Finnish saunas. There is a roasting oven in the corner. There are stones on the bronze grate, and hot coals below.

Having warmed up, we moved to the hottest room - caldarium. This is the so-called wet bath. In the caldarium the visitor was already really breaking out in a sweat. But everything here was equipped in such a way as to avoid stuffiness. Four windows opened wide every now and then, refreshing the room. Along the vaulted ceiling of the caldarium there were transverse grooves, which, in turn, turned into smaller branches. Thus, the water formed from hot steam collected in one place and went into the sewer. At the end of the caldarium, in a niche on a raised platform, as if on a throne, there is a huge metal basin with a diameter of 2.5 meters. Above it is a blue dome, symbolizing the sky. There is a relief ornament on the dome - winged maidens soar in height. The caldarium has a fountain shower and many basins of various sizes for washing. Anyone who wished could soak in a huge white marble bathtub, almost 5 meters long. The caldarium was heated by hot air that flowed through pipes, under the floor and in the walls.

The love for the bath became universal among the Romans. Then they began to build giant baths - baths. The Romans were prepared for large-scale construction: at the end of the 3rd century BC they learned to use cement.

One of the historians writes that the baths resembled cities in size. The baths occupied 12 hectares and accommodated 2,500 people at a time. The Roman rulers, trying to gain popularity, built baths, without which the city residents could not imagine their lives. The Baths of Caracalla, not far from the Colosseum, are better preserved than others. Schematically, their structure is as follows: a vestibule, a large hall - a tepidarium - for sweating, a dry heat steam room, a gymnasium, a library and a buffet. A stadium and a sports hall were adjacent to the thermal baths.

Roman baths and sports were inextricably linked. Suetonius (circa 69-141 AD), in his Lives of the Twelve Caesars, says that before entering the terma they practiced various exercises. Emperor Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD) liked to sweat in front of an open fire, then douse himself with cold water. Suetonius reports that Augustus composed funny epigrams, often in the bathhouse, and before the bath he practiced for several hours with balls - stuffed and inflatable. Emperor Vespasian (9-79 AD) “got up early, before daylight, read letters and reports from all the officials. From the bedroom he went to the bathhouse, and then to the table: at this time, they say, everyone is kinder and softer, and those close to him tried to take advantage of this if they had any requests.”

“I’ll throw the ball, and I’ll head from the Champ de Mars to the bathhouse.” These are the lines of Horace (65-8 BC). The Baths of Agrippa towered on the Campus Martius; they were the very first built in Rome. Here, in the bend of the Tiber, among lush gardens and huge flower beds, there are sports grounds. They played the so-called kharpastum - the prototype of modern football. In addition, they threw the discus, fencing, and raced in chariots. But the competition was coming to an end, and everyone rushed to the thermal bath.

The beat of the drum announced the opening of the baths, where the Romans hurried as if to a holiday. At will, we entered a room with dry or wet steam. The procedure lasted 5-8 minutes. Then they went to the hall where they doused themselves with warm or cold water. Others immediately dived into a pool of cold water. Then there is quite a long skin care routine. It was cleaned with special wooden scrapers. For wealthy people, they were made of ivory or hippopotamus teeth. Cult of massage - rubbed aromatic balms and oils.


Artist T. Chasserio, Tepidarium in a Roman bath
At the baths there are many servants. Some looked after the stove and maintained the required temperature in the bathhouses. Others rubbed the clients' bodies with swan's down. Still others massaged. Among the bathhouse attendants there were even “hair pullers”, and they did it without pain. Calluses were particularly skillful: the Romans wore open sandals and sought to keep their feet impeccably well-groomed.

Roman baths were distinguished by unparalleled luxury. Suffice it to say that washstands were made of silver and sometimes gold. In Diocletian's baths there were two and a half thousand marble chairs alone! 40 thousand builders took part in the construction of these thermal baths.

The pools in the baths were lined with beautiful marble, the kind you rarely see in temples. The bathhouse of Claudius Etruscus was breathtakingly luxurious. Its halls were lined with thick slabs of the most bizarre colors. Artificial waterfalls, the murmur of water rolling down the steps, calmed and evoked pleasant thoughts.

Original devices were made in the thermal baths. For example, bathtubs were suspended from the ceiling on huge chains. The one who was in the bath was swinging as if on a swing. It even got to the point that Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Emperor Nero, bathed in... the milk of purebred donkeys. For this purpose, the servants of the thermal bath kept 500 of these wayward animals, which caused a lot of trouble. When Poppea went on a journey, a herd of donkeys was driven from place to place after her.
The vast expanses of the Roman Empire were vast. Wherever Roman legionaries came - to Gaul (present-day France), Britain, Germany, Asia Minor, Syria, to the banks of the Danube and to the African sands - everywhere they built baths. By the way, the current famous hydrotherapy resorts of Karlovy Vary and Vichy were known back in ancient Roman times. They, in fact, arose on the site of the thermal baths.

Preparing the first baths

To create dry heat in small baths, they burned with charcoal. And if they wanted a more humid atmosphere, they used ordinary firewood.
Ancient Roman authors mention smokeless firewood for a bath. Such firewood was prepared in various ways. They dried them over a large fire, but at some distance from it, so that the wood did not char. Another way. After removing the bark from the tree, they soaked it in water and then dried it. The third is the most expensive, but, as noted, the most reliable way of preparing smokeless firewood: they were soaked in olive oil sludge and then dried in the sun.

The Roman “steamers” had different tastes. There were, as in our time, adherents of high temperature. Then not only the floor of the bathhouse was heated, but also the walls - tiled heating pipes also ran there. Sometimes holes were made in the walls, from which hot air went directly into the caldarium. Actually, the same principle of central heating. But it was not water that flowed through the pipes, but hot air. The giant thermal baths were heated... with oil.


Artist A.-T. Lawrence, In the Tepidarium
The secret of the very elaborate underground central heating system of the Roman baths has not yet been fully discovered. In general terms, this system looked like this. A round or quadrangular stove with vaults was placed near the bathhouse. There were underground channels leading from the furnace to the basement. And from here to the floor. First, the floor was laid with brick slabs, then filled with a solution of sand and lime, and covered with small cobblestones. The top of the floor was covered with marble slabs. Thanks to such a multilayer device, the floor in the bathhouse warmed up, albeit slowly. But it retained heat for a long time (and did not burn the feet of bath-goers, as sometimes happens in our steam rooms).

What did the ancient Romans wash with? After all, for example, the Greeks did not yet know what soap was. In any case, in such a very reliable everyday description of the life of the Hellenes, like the poems of Homer, we learn that sand was used to wash the body. But it was special, very fine sand. It was specially delivered to Hellas from Egypt, from the banks of the Nile. And among the Egyptians themselves, soap was replaced by a beeswax paste, which they mixed with water.
The Romans improved the way they made soap in an effort to make it more accessible. Wood ash and soda were used. The Romans adopted the production of soap from goat fat and beech ash from the Phoenicians. But no matter how hard Roman hygienists tried, they could not make soap as accessible as it is today. The Romans continued to shave and wash clothes without using soap.

based on materials from the site zdorova.narod.ru

We usually steam in Russian or Finnish style, with brooms, with hot steam, while achieving increased blood circulation, which in itself is very beneficial for the whole body. But as take a proper steam bath in a Roman bath and how is it useful?

But with all due respect to Russian and Finnish baths, A Roman bath is much more effective, and especially for the female body.

In addition, unlike the Russian and Finnish baths, Roman steam room has no contraindications- it can be taken even by hypertensive patients.

And the procedures included in the Roman bath ritual seem to be specially invented for beauty - SPA salons readily use them.

Cleansing occurs on all three levels: physical, mental and energetic, which is why after a Roman bath you feel a huge surge of energy, your skin feels like polished silk, and your mood is usually such that you want to sing.

ROMAN BATH - HOW TO STEAM CORRECTLY:

Physical exercise.

Before entering the steam room for the first time, you need to do a light warm-up. These should be very smooth movements, such as slow bending, stretching and stretching of the main muscle groups.

Gentle warmth.

The temperature in the steam room should be 70-80°С- it is fundamentally.

Only at this temperature is it possible to cleanse the body from the inside, since this thermal regime creates optimal conditions that ensure the opening of the pores, and they release everything that the body does not need.
In such a steam room, the skin literally oozes, which does not always (and not for everyone) happen in the scorching air of a sauna.

Instead of soap - oil.

The reason for such a replacement is that the oil, due to its special molecular structure, has a high ability to penetrate deeply into the skin.
This works like a charter transport: having delivered beneficial amino acids inside the skin, the oil is completely released, taking with it all the debris accumulated in the sebum.

As a result of this work, the pores are cleaned to a depth that not even all acids can achieve.

The most recognized pore cleansers are almond, olive and castor oils. Tibetan medicine recommends sesame oil.

The oil is rubbed into the steamed skin.

Instead of a washcloth, use a brush.

Buy a natural hair brush.

Of course, it will have to be changed more often, but these brushes do an excellent job of deep cleaning.

Massage your entire body with the brush.

No more than three passes.

This restriction is due to the risk of dehydration.

Open pores do not care whether they release a contaminated liquid or a clean one, and therefore a strict norm must be observed.

To solve the problem of deep cleaning, three visits to the steam room are absolutely enough.

No more than 15 minutes.

Time in the steam room in each pass should not exceed 15 minutes, and time between calls amounts to no more than 30 minutes.

Compliance with this rule will ensure optimal cleansing of the skin, since the pores, under the influence of different temperatures, make pulsating movements: they either open or contract - and thereby push out the maximum amount of impurities.

The Roman ritual is very soft and delicate, and there are no restrictions on its frequency.

Perform it at least daily and you will get a renewed body.
How is this, you ask?

  • Should we talk about silky skin?
  • What about the morning swelling that will begin to leave you after the first bath?
  • What about the feeling of lightness?
  • Finally, a great mood - name someone who will refuse it.

The Roman bath cleanses not only the physical body - it is a method of thorough cleansing. That’s why the soul sings after a bath!

Roman bath - how to steam properly
How to take a steam bath in a Roman bath and how is it useful? We usually steam in Russian or Finnish style, with brooms, with hot steam, while achieving increased blood circulation, which in itself is very beneficial for the whole body.


The very first rooms that were used for mass ablution and rest appeared in Ancient Rome.

Roman baths were built near natural thermal springs, the water temperature of which did not exceed 37 degrees. Thanks to this fact, they received their unique name - “therms”. The buildings amazed with the scale and originality of their architectural forms, the convenience and safety of bathing procedures.

Functional rooms of the Roman baths

What are the classic Roman baths? These are many functional rooms, each of which has its own temperature and humidity levels.

The process of visiting a bathhouse among the Romans was as follows: entering the dressing room (apodyterium) with cooled air, visitors were prepared to undergo basic procedures.

Next we moved into a room (tepidarium), which was heated to 42 degrees with an air humidity of 35–40%. It served to preheat the body, and only after that the bathhouse attendants entered the two halls one by one.

The first is a wet room (caldarium), with an air heating temperature of up to 55 degrees with a humidity of 95–100%, the second is a dry room (laconium), with a heating temperature of 80 degrees and a relative humidity of 18%.

After the main halls, relaxation continued in special rooms (lavaria), where massages and other hygiene procedures were carried out. In another room (frigidarium) there were pools with different temperature conditions for heating water.

Ancient Roman baths consisted of the following rooms:

Features of using baths

Roman baths in Ancient Rome were built near thermal waters, which filled artificial pools for ablution procedures. This made it possible to save money on additional water heating and timely replacement of fluid in pools.

Subsequently, the Roman baths were supplemented with new functional premises for higher quality leisure time: gyms, library rooms, rooms for massage and relaxation, rooms for theatrical performances, oratory performances and eating.

The main goal of such a transformation is to provide a wide range of entertainment and maximum comfort resting for the whole day.

The grandiose building in Rome, which was the center of people's social life, is the reason why the Romans needed daily visits to the baths. Entertainment that was available to almost everyone in Rome, with the exception of prisoners and slaves.

Heating of rooms in thermal baths

To heat public baths, water from natural thermal springs was used in Ancient Rome. Water was supplied using a simple piped water supply system. For this purpose, ceramic pipes were laid along the wall structures of the building.

Roman baths were characterized by high humidity, which in some functional rooms reached 100%. To generate steam, a stove or water boiler installed in the basement of the bath was used.

Constant heating of water to boiling point contributed to the formation of thick steam, which entered the premises through holes in the walls. To prevent excessive heating of the surface under the heating equipment, the floor had a double structure.

Advantages and disadvantages of Roman baths

Like other types of baths, Roman baths in the classic version have a number of advantages and some contraindications.

The beneficial effects of bathing procedures in the thermal baths, subject to safety rules and the sequence of visiting each room, are as follows:

  • increased collagen production, improved skin tone and appearance,
  • reduction of swelling, detoxification of the body,
  • improving the functioning of systems and individual organs,
  • increasing immunity, improving mood and well-being.

Thermal baths in Rome were especially popular due to their accessibility and positive effects on the human body. Thus, deep warming of the body helped speed up metabolism, relieve physical fatigue and nervous excitement.

The Roman baths sauna has one significant drawback - its high cost, which makes it an exceptional element of luxury and wealth. For this reason, not everyone can afford to organize such a bathhouse in a private household. High price thermal baths are determined by the high cost of construction and finishing materials, the complexity of the design, as well as the professionalism of the contractors.

In addition, the Roman bath is contraindicated for people with problems with blood pressure, chronic diseases of the kidneys, lungs, intestines, cancer, and it is not recommended in the postoperative period.

Modern Roman baths

It is noteworthy that ideas for recreating traditional baths that were popular in Rome do not leave modern architects. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to implement such a project. This is due to the high cost of building a bathhouse, which requires a large amount of natural materials and complex communication systems.

Replacing natural materials with artificial analogues will lead to a violation of the unique technology for storing thermal energy indoors, which was developed in Rome.

Modern architecture has also undergone some changes, so it is difficult to recreate the main antique elements of Roman steam rooms - columns, statues, arches and stucco moldings.

However, the greatest difficulty is the presence of thermal springs with a suitable temperature regime of water, near which it is possible to build baths. Projects that are implemented within the framework of modern technologies can only remotely be considered Roman baths.

The Roman bath is a temple for the unity of soul and body, the ideal combination of beauty, freedom and relaxation. A place that became famous for its unique architecture, functionality and beneficial effects on the human body.

Ancient Roman thermal baths - design, features of use, effects on the body
Roman baths were built near natural thermal springs, the water temperature of which did not exceed 37 degrees. Thanks to this fact, they received their unique name - “therms”.



Are you looking for a SPA hotel in Crimea? Then you should come to the Aquamarine SPA Hotel. Even in summer, sometimes you want to take a steam bath, relax in a jacuzzi, pamper yourself with foam peeling and massage, not to mention the autumn-winter period. Especially after an active day spent on excursions.

The Aquamarine bath complex includes: a Russian bath, a Finnish sauna, a Roman bath and a Turkish hammam. Additionally, you can order broom steaming treatments in the Russian Bath or soap peeling with massage in the Hammam. Spa treatments must be ordered in advance by calling +7 978 900-50-50 or from the Administrator at the reception desk of the bathhouse and pool complex.

Russian bath

Russian bathhouse is a bathhouse of medium temperature and humidity. Humidity is 30-40%, temperature is approximately 50-70 degrees. You can stay in the steam room for 15-20 minutes in 3 sessions with breaks for cooling and resting the body for 5-10 minutes. In the Russian bathhouse, it is customary to steam with brooms; their leaves contain essential oils, which are released under the influence of temperature, having a beneficial effect on the body. Brooms are also an excellent tool for massage. Please order the procedure for steaming with brooms in advance from the Complex Administrator.

Finnish sauna

Finnish sauna is a bath with very low humidity (5-10%) and high temperature - 90-100 degrees. The optimal time for one entry is 5-10 minutes, but you need to rest for at least 40 minutes after entry. The number of visits is also determined by how you feel, but should not exceed 2-3 times. Features of the Finnish sauna include the use of essential oils. They are diluted and sprayed onto the stones. It is also common to make face masks. Roman bath – a bath with high humidity (about 100%) and average temperature(45 – 60 degrees). You should stay in the steam room for no more than 15 minutes in each of the 3 sessions, and the time between sessions should be no more than 30 minutes. Before entering the steam room for the first time, you need to do a light warm-up. These should be very smooth movements, such as slow bending, stretching and stretching of the main muscle groups.

Roman bath

The Roman bath is especially recommended for women. The skin is kept in a fresh state, cleansing of toxins and accelerating metabolism allows you to lose excess weight, and all together guarantees a good mood, lack of stress and harmony in the soul.

Turkish hammam

Turkish hammam is the softest bath with a low temperature - 40-45 degrees, but with a very high percentage of humidity - 80-100%. You can spend from several hours to the whole day here and it will not affect your health or well-being. The main condition is the absence of specific contraindications. When visiting the hammam, massage and cosmetic treatments are desirable. Order a “soapy” massage with peeling from the Complex Administrator in advance.

Do you want to relieve nervous tension and relax? Then you should go to the jacuzzi. Warm (33-34 degrees) jets of water mixed with air bubbles relieve the body of various pains, massaging soft tissues, and relieving fatigue. And herbal teas from the herbal bar will be a pleasant addition to your relaxation.

All baths have a common and most important feature - visiting the baths helps improve well-being, health, relaxation and rest, which is achieved in the same way - with the help of temperature and water procedures.

Aquamarine is the best SPA hotel in Crimea
Are you looking for a SPA hotel in Crimea? Resort complex "Aquamarine" is the best SPA hotel in Sevastopol. For you, baths of the peoples of the world, swimming pools...



Public baths have always been in demand among the people; many remember this from Soviet times. But the history of such establishments began in the Ancient Roman Empire.

The ancient Roman baths instantly became a cultural place for the entire people. They were large-scale recreation centers of mass use throughout history, and their architecture and design amazed with its luxury and originality.

Layout features

Construction of a Roman bath in the photo

A distinctive feature of such vacation spots from modern ones is the large number of rooms, each of them had a certain humidity and temperature inside. Visitors to the bathhouse in Rome first found themselves in a locker room with cool air, then there was a room with a warmer atmosphere, about 40 degrees, and a humidity of no more than 40%.

Then the Roman bath moved into a hot room (up to 50 degrees) with humidity up to 100% and a room with heating up to eighty degrees and humidity no more than 20% - the so-called dry steam room. After the hot halls there were cool rooms for relaxation, massage and other hygiene procedures, as well as places with two swimming pools different temperatures water.

All rooms had specific names, namely:

  • apodytherium,
  • tepidarium,
  • callidarium,
  • laconium,
  • frigidarium,
  • Lavarium.

Baths in Rome at that time were often called thermal baths, and not by chance. The fact is that they used water exclusively from thermal reservoirs. This arrangement of the bathhouse in Ancient Rome made it possible to use already warm liquid, therefore, there was no need to waste time and money on heating it. Water from the springs was collected into the pools twice a day and used for all other needs.

Almost immediately after its foundation, the Roman thermal baths began to be replenished with new premises for more varied leisure activities. Here you could also visit a reading area, a special hall for sports activities, watch a theater performance and have lunch. All this was done so that, upon arriving at a vacation spot, the visitor could calmly spend the whole day here, while receiving everything he needed.

Unique architecture

Spacious space is one of the features

Since the activity of the thermal baths was based on the supply of already hot liquid from thermal springs, it was mainly used to heat rooms. Thus, water from the springs at a temperature of about 40 degrees passed through pipes built into and under the walls, giving off part of its heat to the rooms. A building with a high temperature required more heating, so under their floors in the basement floors there were furnaces with large containers filled with water, which boiled all the time and heated the rooms with the resulting steam. This steam entered the hall through special air ducts in the walls of the steam rooms. To make it possible to move on the floor above the boilers without burning your feet, the rest areas were equipped with double floors.

Benefits of the structure

Thanks to the variety of entertainment offered to the people in the thermal baths, everyone could fully relax, unwind and have a good time here, but this is not the main benefit. The location of all the rooms in the Roman steam room was not accidental: it was the smooth transition from low to high temperatures, and vice versa, that contributed to a more comfortable state of the entire body in the bath. That is, by first coming to a cool room, then to a warmer one, and only then to the steam room, the possibility of overexertion for the body is eliminated. A person will no longer feel a constant dry mouth and the need to drink as soon as possible. The same effect is achieved when moving from a steam room to a warm pool, and only then to a cold one.

Luxurious decoration

The Roman bath was business card" throughout the Empire, she invariably shone with beauty and luxury. Its plumbing was made of precious metals or natural stones, the walls and floors were tiled, the pools and sun loungers were made of natural marble. Despite all this luxury, the bathhouse in Ancient Rome was accessible to all segments of the population. The cost of entering the steam room was low, so both poor people and wealthy residents of the city could safely afford to come here. It was the thermal bath that became the place where the boundaries between segments of the population were erased, because without clothes and jewelry we are all equal.

Modern baths

Modern thermal bath in the photo

Of course, the former grandeur and luxury of the baths in Rome is not available to us in modern times. First of all, this is due to expensive construction, because now, using natural materials and complex communications, it is impossible to charge a small fee for a visit. Moreover, the thermal bath is now just a place for water treatments; there is no need to build a library or restaurant in it; it is enough to divide it into several rooms with an autonomous climate in each.

Modern design has also undergone changes, but all arches, antique statues and columns remain indispensable attributes of ancient steam rooms. The floor is now laid with imitation stone, and instead of marble, stylized tiles are used, but even such savings are only possible for private properties and cannot be public.

The benefits of modern buildings

Despite the external and internal changes in modern baths, compared to ancient baths, they still have many positive qualities on the human body. This is due to the fact that the basis for the distribution of rooms according to temperature conditions and the humidity remains to this day. This gradual transition to a hot room improves blood circulation and speeds up metabolism, resulting in increased immunity. People who frequently visit baths are not afraid of colds and other inflammatory infections. The steam room has a beneficial effect on the muscles, joints, endocrine and cardiovascular systems of the body, but some people still do not want to visit it.

So, the Roman bath is strictly contraindicated:

  • pregnant women,
  • cancer patients,
  • people with kidney problems,
  • with stomach problems,
  • with intestinal problems,
  • with respiratory problems,
  • patients with acute forms of viral infections.

The latter applies to those whose illnesses occur with fever and impaired lung function, that is, with a severe cough.

Features of Roman baths (therms)
Roman baths were the face of the entire Empire and always shone with luxury and abundance. Their plumbing was made of precious metals or natural stones, the walls and floors were made of mosaics, and the pools and even sun loungers were made of natural marble.

Screensaver image: Peter van Bloemen. Landscape with shepherds and animals against the backdrop of the Baths of Diocletian. 1700s National Gallery Scotland. Each new emperor of Rome, ascending the throne, built new baths to gain popularity among the people. The emperors Anthony (86 – 161), Caracalla (188 – 212) and Diocletian (244 – 311) became especially famous for the construction of the baths.

Baths came to the Roman Empire from Greece. In all all major cities public baths (therms) appeared, which served as the center of communication and cultural life of Roman civilization. In the modern understanding, in terms of their functions, the Roman baths were the equivalent of a combination of a library, an art gallery, shopping center, restaurant, gym, spa and bathhouse in a single complex. (In our time bath complexes, providing such a wide range of recreational opportunities, exist, perhaps, only in South Korea). As the Romans conquered new lands, baths appeared in France, Spain, Germany and England. In Crimea, on Cape Ai-Todor, on the territory of the Roman camp Charax, the ruins of Roman baths have also been preserved. The most famous are the reconstructed Roman baths at the hot springs in the town of Bath in Somerset, England. A second source of inspiration for the Roman baths were the stone Celtic temples of the revered sacred hot springs in honor of the boginga Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva.

The Roman baths were complex structures and consisted of several rooms: a vestibule where slaves waited for their owners, dressing rooms - apodyterium, from which one could enter a room with a pool for cooling, washing and a separate swimming pool - frigidarium. This was followed by a warm room - a tepidarium where the air temperature reached 35 - 37°C. In it, visitors quickly adapted to the heat and prepared to move into a room for sweating with a heated floor and walls - caldarium, where the temperature had already reached about 45°C. Sometimes there was an even hotter steam room - laconicum (“a place to sweat”). A person spent 30 to 40 minutes in the tepidarium, and 12 to 18 minutes in the caldarium.

The key element of heating in ancient Greek, Roman and Eastern baths was the hypocaust (from the Greek “from below” and “heating”). The Roman architect Vitruvius (1st century BC) in his treatise “Ten Books on Architecture” attributes the invention of the hypocaust to the Roman engineer Serigius Orata, but the hypocaust was known in earlier times in Greece (the baths of Olympia) and other countries (Asia, North Africa).

The hypocaust consists of a kiln located below the level of the finished floor of the heated premises, a double floor on stone columns under the heated room and smoke pottery pipes in the walls through which flue gases are discharged into the atmosphere. The stove was usually located next to the hottest room of the bath - the laconium or caldarium. The height of the underground space in the baths gradually decreased with distance from the stove - from about 1 meter to 70 - 80 cm. This made it possible to increase the flow rate of cooling flue gases in remote rooms. The degree of heating of the premises was also regulated by the thickness of the floor [Dzhagatsapanyan A.A., 1968]. The hypocaust was heated with wood, brushwood, and in Asia - with dung (dry manure). Periodically, the hypocaust and smoke channels were cleaned of ash and soot. Similar heating structures existed in the ancient Kushan Kingdom (now Pakistan) and Korea (1000 BC) and are still known in traditional Korean architecture under the name “ondol”.

There were also separate hygienic baths for women in the thermal baths. The baths had good ventilation: fresh air was supplied to each room through a separate ventilation pipe, and moist air was removed from the baths through a separate exhaust duct. In the culture of the Roman Empire, it was considered necessary to visit the bathhouse every day.

In rich houses, miniature baths were built with all the traditional premises. In the 4th century, Rome alone had 11 large thermal baths and more than 900 (!) public baths. The largest Roman baths, the surviving fragments of which can be admired today, are the Baths of Diocletian. The construction of the baths took place from 298 to 306 AD. These grandiose structures were founded by order of the Roman Emperor Maximilian, but were completed only under the Emperor Diocletian. Thermal baths were built on site ancient temple, and later a temple appeared on the site of the baths again. Such mutual transformations of temples into baths and back are also found in the history of Byzantium. The Baths of Diocletian - the most grandiose of the buildings of this kind had an area of ​​130,000 m2. The swimming pool had an area of ​​3600 m2, and the number of marble seats for visitors exceeded 1600. Some authors said that 3000 people could be in the thermal baths at the same time. The water supply to the baths was carried out through the Marcius and Antonia aqueducts. Visitors could wash in separate rooms, do gymnastics, and play ball. There was a large library in the baths; the semicircular exedra hall was used as a lecture and reading room.

The second largest in Rome were the Baths of Emperor Caracalla, built between 212 and 216 AD, the ruins of which currently serve as a summer site for the Roman Opera. The size of the Diocletian Baths was so great that only on the site of its frigidarium the brilliant Michelangelo was able to place the entire basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Virgin Mary with the Angels), the construction of which was completed in 1566. One of the spheristeriums (round rooms for playing ball) housed the Church of San Bernardo alle Terme Diocletiano (built 1593 - 1600), and in the main hall of the baths in 1889 part of the exhibition of the National Roman Museum was placed. In "The Life of Michelangelo Buonarotti"(Notes of the Eastern Branch of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society, 1908)it says:“...he, at the request of the same pope (Pope Pius IV), made a project for the new church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the Baths of Diocletian, in order to adapt them to a Christian temple... His Holiness and all the prelates and courtiers were amazed at how beautiful the foresight and how judiciously the entire skeleton of the named terms was used; they saw that this turned out to be a most beautiful temple with a vestibule that surpassed the plans of all architects, for which it deserved endless honor and glory...”

 

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