Baths of Mirobriga of the Celts

Category: Archaeology > Thermal Baths

District: Setúbal > Santiago do Cacém > Celões > Miróbriga

Location

The Baths of Mirobriga dos Celtas are located in the serene locality of Celões, within the municipality of Santiago do Cacém, in the district of Setúbal. This archaeological site is integrated into the vast complex of the ancient Roman city of Miróbriga, extending across a gently undulating landscape, typical of the Alentejo Litoral. Its strategic position atop an elevation allows for a wide view over the surrounding area, offering a natural setting that invites reflection on the vastness of time.

A Legacy of Roman Antiquity

Known as the Baths of Mirobriga dos Celtas, these imposing thermal ruins are, in reality, a remarkable testament to the presence and advanced engineering of the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula. The baths represented a fundamental pillar of social life and hygiene in Roman cities, functioning as a vital space for meeting and relaxation. Their construction in Miróbriga reflects the strategic importance and significant urban development that the city achieved during Roman rule, demonstrating the profound adaptation of technologies and customs of a millennia-old civilization to this region.

Thermal Engineering

The structure of the Baths of Mirobriga, designed according to the principles of Roman architecture, reveals the ingenious organization of spaces dedicated to bathing and well-being. It is possible to discern the distinct compartments that made up the thermal circuit: from the apodyterium, the initial changing room, to the cold water rooms (the frigidarium), temperate (the tepidarium), and hot (the caldarium). The ingenious underground heating system, known as the hypocaust, is one of the most notable aspects, demonstrating the advanced hydraulic and thermal engineering of the time. The remains allow us to glimpse the original grandeur of the constructions, with their floors and walls that, in other times, would have been richly decorated.

Life and Daily Life in Miróbriga

Beyond their purely hygienic function, the Baths of Mirobriga constituted a vital center of community life. They were places where business was discussed, social gatherings were celebrated, and physical and mental health was promoted. The existence of this complex underscores the sophistication of urban life in Miróbriga, a city that, like many others in the Roman Empire, was organized around public spaces that fostered interaction and the daily lives of its inhabitants. Walking through these remains is to delve into the routine of a civilization that shaped a large part of the West and to understand its profound cultural and social legacy.

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