SA1.3

SA1.3 corresponds to the structures of the Lateran Baths. The surviving structures of SA1.3 were discovered in the late Nineteen century by Stevenson (1877) and there is no written record of the excavations. Only a small portion of the structure survives today. Our stratigraphic analysis and assessment of the building's phasing and chronology can be based on the analysis of the visible structures only. A discussion of the archaeology of the Severan baths was published by Colini in 1937 and later in his general work on the topography of the Caelian (Colini 1944: 334-339). The restoration of the building was published at the same time (Salmi 1937, Nogara 1938). The building was already known to Stevenson (1877: 358, tab. T), from which all the existing plans have been derived until now. Colini, after looking at the building with Gismondi, declared that the structure was homogeneous and that it could be dated to the first half of the 3rd century.

Structural Analysis of SA1.3 was carried out in 2022 by David Heslop and team of PGR students of Newcastle University and the University of Florence. The results of this investigation have been interpreted by Dr Thea Ravasi in 2022 against the evidence provided by Colini. The hydraulic system of the baths is being investigated by Elettra Santucci as part of her PhD research.

Brickwork analysis and mortar sampling have also been carried out by Dr Thea Ravasi, Dr Mauro La Russa, Dr. Luciana Randazzo (Universita’ della Calabria), and Sofia Vagnuzzi (Universita’ di Firenze) on some of the structures in 2022: the research is ongoing.

Orthophoto derived from the scans of the baths (scanning and registration: Peverett, Turner 2022; georeferencing: Ravasi 2023)

Summary of main structural phases

A‌bove: reconstructed plan of the Severan Baths (Ravasi 2023)

The original structures of the so called Severan Baths survive only in small portions (rooms A to F): the northern and southern portions of the building have been demolished for the construction of via Amba Aradam (north) and the buildings of the Pontificia Universitá’ (south). No information about soil stratigraphy survives

Structural Analysis carried out on the surviving buildings has allowed the identificationof three structural phases:

  • Phase 1: construction of the bath complex (Severan period)
  • Phase 2: repair of the frigidarium (tentatively, Constantinian period) 
  • Phase 3: disuse of the baths and transformation of the southern pool of the frigidarium into a lime kiln (early medieval)


Above: orthophoto of the elevation of the southern piscina of the frigidarium showhing phases 1, 2 and 3 (Ravasi 2023). 

References

Colini, A.M. (1944), Storia e topografia del Celio nell’antichità, Atti della Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia, serie III, Memorie, 7. Vatican City, Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana.

Nogara B. (1938), Atti del V Congresso  Nazionale di Studi Romani, 2 (Roma 1935), 2: 34.

Salmi M. (1937), Il restauro di una sala termale romana presso il battistero di S. Giovanni in Laterano, Palladio, 1.2: 74

Stevenson, E. (1877), Scoperte di antichi edifici al Laterano, Annali dell'Istituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica, 49: 332-384.

Aknowledgements

We wish to thank first and foremost colleagues at the Vatican Museums, notably Barbara Jatta, Giandomenico Spinola, Sabina Francini and Leonardo De Blasi for facilitating access to the structures. 

  • Structural Analysis: David Heslop and the Rome Transformed team
  • Database input: David Heslop and the Rome Transformed team
  • Interpretation and phasing: Thea Ravasi
  • Hydraulic infrastructure: Elettra Santucci
  • Scanning and data processing: Iwan Peverett, Alex Turner, Thea Ravasi
  • Mortar analysis: Mauro La Russa, Luciana Randazzo, Thea Ravasi, Sofia Vagnuzzi

Thea Ravasi (last updated on 31/10/2023)