Roman Sanctuary of the Waters - Roman Baths

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Santarém > Tomar > Tomar

Location

The Roman Sanctuary of the Waters and the Roman Baths are situated in the heart of the city of Tomar, a place with deep historical roots. This archaeological complex is integrated within the facilities of Colégio Nuno Álvares, offering a unique visitor experience where antiquity intertwines with the contemporary context of the city.

Its position within the urban perimeter allows visitors easy accessibility, revealing an unexpected Roman legacy in the city's fabric, inviting the discovery of a distant past hidden beneath the current landscape.

Remains of a Civilization

This remarkable archaeological site unveils traces of Roman presence in the region of Tomar, demonstrating the sophistication of their engineering and daily life. The complex includes remnants of thermal baths, essential structures in Roman society not only for personal hygiene but also as social and leisure centers.

The discovered elements offer insight into Roman civil architecture, revealing heating systems like the hypocaust, aqueduct structures, or piping that demonstrate mastery of water management, and the various spaces that made up a Roman bathhouse, such as the hot, cold, and warm water pools, designated as caldarium, frigidarium, and tepidarium.

The Duality of Roman Water

The Roman Sanctuary of the Waters and the Roman Baths illustrate the deep and dual relationship that Romans maintained with water. On one hand, the thermal baths represented the utilitarian use of water for health, well-being, and socialization, reflecting the importance of public life in the empire.

On the other hand, the sanctuary component points to the religious and sacred use of water, often associated with deities of healing, fertility, or linked to specific cults. This symbolic aspect of water was fundamental in Roman beliefs and rituals, transforming the site into a space for purification, veneration, and the seeking of divine blessings, complementing the practical function of the baths with a profound spiritual dimension.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt