The Capo di Bove Roman baths on the Via Appia

The Via Appia (the Appian Way) is Rome’s famous ancient road that crosses Italy arriving to the eastern coast of the country by the Adriatic Sea. Along the side of the road, there is an interesting variety of Roman tombs and archaeological sites.

In the area known locally as Capo di Bove, private thermal baths were uncovered that were in use between the 2^nd and 4th centuries AD that appear to have been the property of a certain Erode Attico and his wife Annia Regillia. Not as impressive as the bigger cousins in the centre of Rome, the Baths of Diocletian and the Baths of Carcalla, these baths are worth a visit. They are located just over three kilometres from Rome’s Aurelian Walls.

The layout of the baths saw the main monumental entrance facing the Via Appia itself. From there visitors could reach the changing rooms called apodyteria. Just like modern changing rooms, a person could leave their personal belongings and clothes here before entering the baths with towels and sandals on their feet. The decoration of each room of the apodyterium includes black and white geometrical mosaic floor design.

The first area entered after leaving the changing area was the frigidarium, which had two cold-water pools. The second visit was to the tiepidarium before moving on to the hot waters of the caldarium.

Other areas included a sudatorium and laconicum for a massage or sauna. Having completed the bathing ritual in the order mentioned above, a Roman could then repeat the ritual in a reverse order before finishing up and going home.

The wastewater from the baths exited through a complex sewage system, parts of which were discovered intact during excavation work. Some fascinating discoveries retrieved from the sewage pipes including coins, games’ dice and objects for women’s hair. Not too far from the types of objects left behind in public baths nowadays!

The heating of the baths was possible thanks to underground wood-burning ovens that passed heat through tubes of bronze and copper as well as terracotta tubing in the walls if it was necessary to heat the room and not just the water.

Amongst the archaeological discoveries in the area were a late second century AD marble slab with an inscription to “Regilla, light of the household”, and various mosaics with designs of a kantharos (an ancient Greek drinking cup) and a scene with a beast and a human.

There is so much more to learn about this archaeological site but I would prefer to show it to you in person when you come to Rome!

Written by: Robert Coghlan

Photo by: Robert Coghlan