Sights and Flavors of the Ancient Sabine Hills
Sabina is a region that has been economically depressed, the upside of that is that here a visitor can probably feel the same fascination that Grand Tourists used to feel, when British and Northern European tourists visited Italy in the late 18th century and 19th […]
If cemeteries have inpired poets there must be a reason. Even the most cynical of men feels overwelmed when wondering in a graveyard. A few days ago I paid a visit to my mother’s tomb in the monumental cemetery of Rome, Verano, just behind the […]
Everywhere in the word this archaeological site would have been studied and open for interested tourists, but not in Italy, and not in authentic and undiscovered Sabina.
This structure was built near Cotilia Lake in an area that was already very important in pre-Roman times as the goddess Vacuna, an ancient rural deity of the native Sabines, was worshipped here. Vacuna was the goddess of fertility, hunting and rest after agricultural toil.
The purpose of these Roman structures is uncertain and for this reason the names given still vary from the Villa of Vespasiano to the Thermal Baths of Vespasiano. It may well have been a place of cult of Vacuna. Nevertheless the name is in each case connected to Tito Flavio Vespasiano (Emperor Vespasian) who was born in this area in Vicus Phalatrinae and died in Cutilia, and his son Titus Flavius Vespasianus known as Titus, the emperors who famously built and inaugurated the Colosseum in Rome. Titus is also infamous for having destroyed the holy city of Jerusalem in AD 70, an event carved into the very stones of the Roman Forum in high relief on the emperors triumphal arch.
The edifice was approximately 200 m long and is laid out over 4 terraces that follow the shape of the terrain. The Roman were experts at mastering nature without violating it. On the second terrace lies the huge natatio or swimming pool, accessible via 4 steep staircases. The pool is 1440 square metres (60m x 24m), bigger than a modern Olympic swimming pool.
The Natatio of the Baths of Vespasian (60x24m)
The natatio seen from the 3rd terrace of the complex with the staircases clearly visible
In ancient Rome punctuating the landscape with temples dedicated to deities that were the manifestation of the strength and benevolence of nature was common. After Constantine the Great and even more so with Theodosius the Great, Christians started to attack and systematically demolish anything that would recall the pagan world. So within the walls of towns and in the rural areas temples were destroyed and replaced by or reused as Christian churches. So the fact that at the same level of the natatio there are ruins of a church may mean that in Roman times this was a Pagan shrine or temple.
A third level above the pool and church ruin is supported by an array of vaults above rooms of different sizes. Behind them there is a a vaulted corridor. A stair case gave access to a third level. Nothing is left of it.
The archaeological site is closed, but easily accessible through an unlocked gate, but this sad fact is counterbalanced by the emotion of walking alone in the grandeur of such majestic and evocative ruins.
Amongst the pearls of beauty scattered in the Rieti province Vallecupola stands out for its pristine state and its atmospheric location. Situated between the Turano and Salto Lakes at 1000 m altitude, this quaint hamlet reminds us of the ancient rhythms that used to regulate […]
Country villas played a very important role in the lifestyle of noble Roman families in antiquity. The escape from hot, overcrowded and polluted cities has always been something the wealthy have aspired to, even in Roman times. The landscape of the countryside in the classical […]
