The history of
Para di šoto
Bathing played a major part in ancient Roman culture and society. It was one of the most common daily activities in Roman culture, and was practiced across a wide variety of social classes. Though many contemporary cultures consider bathing as a very private activity conducted at home, bathing during the time of ancient Romans was a communal activity. In many ways, baths were the ancient Roman equivalent of community centers. Because the bathing process took so long, conversation was necessary. Many Romans would use the baths as a place to invite their friends to dinner parties, and many politicians would go to the baths to convince fellow Romans to join their causes. The baths were actually a combination of library, art gallery, restaurant, gym and spa.
The history of
Para di šoto
The rooms of the baths were L shaped, interconnected and had a different role in the bathing process that lasted for hours at a time. Heating of the rooms was based on hypocaust system, floor heating (visible on the photo). There was a furnace outside the building`s walls which produced hot steam that was then circulating beneath the floor lever through the area originally called hypocaust. Heated floors thus made the rooms hot or warm depending on the vicinity of the furnace. The hottest room was undoubtedly the room which was directly connected to the praefurnium (the furnace outside the baths). The hottest segment of this room was the apse situated exactly over the main, and possibly the only channel (visible on the photo) connecting the baths with the furnace. Thus, this room should be identified as the Caldarium with a hot bath tub or basin, probably situated in the apse and made of precious material. This room was something like today’s sauna.
The history of
Para di šoto
Room next to Caldarium was called Tepidarium (warm room). The core of this room was its conspicuous octagonal shape with 4 niches. Four niches were most probably equipped with benches, each one large enough to accommodate one person. Judging by the size of apertures beneath the floor it is evident that this room belonged to the block of the hot rooms while the present bar area was a typical Tepidarium. Both rooms had hypocaust chambers which were fed by the hot air from the Caldarium room. The question of the exact function of the doubled sweating room could be explained only by the fact that the bathers had to be gradually acclimatized to the temperature of the Caldarium. It is also presumed that these where the rooms in which the bathers applied the various oil-based preparations to their bodies. Comparison with various other baths shows that today’s buffet area could have only been an apodyterium (dressing room). At the same time, the apodyterium was, without exception, an entrance room. It should be also noted that the Frigidarium was the last stop for the water flowing into the basins and tubs, so it is not surprising that it was situated at the lowest level of the complex, so the flow of the water could be secured. The baths are an unbelievable accomplishment in the field of architecture of the Roman Age, and their remnants are preserved and kept safe with pride in our restaurant.