Arcos I Public Baths

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

first to second century CE

Excavation Dates

unspecified

Garden Description

These baths are remarkable for their size (55 x 95 m), symmetry, and inclusion of a large garden. At the back of the grand semicircular entrance hall opened the garden, formerly thought to have been a natatio. On either side then followed a palestra (Fig. 1, P), an apodyterium or changing room (A), a frigidarium (F), and a tepidarium (T). Only the caldarium (C) was shared between the sexes. The semicircular wall at the northeastern end of the garden area goes quite deep into the ground and was presumably part of a swimming pool. As late as 1994, de Palol thought that most of the central court had been a pool, but subsequent thorough investigation could not find evidence for it except near that wall. The oldest elements go back to Tiberian times as attested by ceramics near the base of the semicircular wall, constituting the oldest finds in Clunia. Two further datable extensions occurred in Flavian and Antonine times.

Plans

Plan of the Arcos I baths.

Credit: Adapted from de Palol, p. 81.

Images

Photo looking north across Arcos I baths.

Bibliography

M.ª Lucas and V. Viñas, "La villa romana de Aguilafuente (Segovia)," in Symposium de arqueología romana, Segovia y la arqueología romana. Publicaciones eventuales 27, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, 1977, pp. 239-255.(worldcat)
M.ª C. Fernández Castro, Villas romanas en Hispania. Madrid, 1982. (worldcat)
J.G. Gorges, Les villas hispano-romaines: inventaire et problématique archéologiques. Centre Pierre Paris, París, 1979, pp. 355. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of Taracena

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

ca. first to fourth century CE

Excavation Dates

1933 to 1935

Garden Description

Excavated by Blas Taracena between 1933 and 1935, this house is located to the northeast of the forum. The arrangement of its gardens is most unusual. At the center of the house lies not a courtyard but an almost square summer triclinium with a stunning geometric mosaic. On the four sides were passageways and, beyond them small gardens, forming a Greek cross of gardens. Taracena was able to detect the soil contours of the planting beds of these gardens. (Fig 2) Although the gardens have not been replanted, the contours are now no longer visible.

In each courtyard was a cistern or well. The eastern courtyard had served as the atrium of the first phase of the house. Most of the wall paintings and mosaics in the house may date to the second half of the second century. The passageways in the north courtyard were paved in the reign of Constantine. The peristyle courtyard [53] at the rear of the complex (the north side) was probably a garden.

On the southeast corner of the house was a curious structure placed more than a meter below street level, possibly to protect it from the harsh weather of the meseta. There are elements of a sort of subterranean peristyle and atrium with high walls between the columns. There are also kitchen fireplaces and connection to a cryptoportico.

Plans

Plan of house.

Credit: Balil Iliana.

Images

Photograph looking east over the subterranean structures.

Photograph of a floral band from the south side of room 1.

Photograph of the peristyle on the north side of the house, probably a garden.

Bibliography

B. Taracena Aguirre, "El palacio romano de Clunia," in Archivo Español de Arqueología, XIX. C.S.I.C., Madrid, 1946, pp.78-80 (worldcat)
A. Balil Iliana, "Casa y urbanismo en la España antigua. Casa familiar y vivienda colectiva en la España romana," in Boletín del Seminario de Estudios de Arte y Arqueología, XXXVIII. Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, 1972, pp. 125-133 (worldcat)
P. de Palol, Clunia, Historia de la ciudad y guía de las excavaciones. Diputación Provincial de Burgos, 1994 (worldcat)

Clunia on Gardens of the Roman Empire

Arcos I Public Baths

Dates

Excavation Dates

Garden Description

Plans

Images

Bibliography

Keywords

House of Taracena

Dates

Excavation Dates

Garden Description

Plans

Images

Bibliography

Keywords