Herculaneum VI.1. Thermae Centrali or Central Baths, linked to VI.7, VI.8 and VI.10.
Fully excavated 1931-32.
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Maiuri wrote (in c.1936) that this building may be attributed to the early Augustan period (30-10 BC); the decoration is of a later date of the time of either Claudius or Nero. During the 1860-75 excavations, only the palaestra and the shops on the western side were disinterred; the recent explorations have completed the work and the Thermae are thus the first public edifice of Herculaneum to have reappeared in its entirety, whilst excavations are still in course in the Palaestra and in the Suburban Baths.
There are four distinct entrances one on Cardo III (VI.1) the real main entrance to the men’s baths, and three on Cardo IV, that is one at VI.7 which leads to the palaestra and across that to the men’s baths, one at VI.8 leading exclusively to the women’s section, and another at VI.10, a service door leading to the praefurnium (boiler/furnace), and to other parts of the water-supply plant.
Entrance
VI,1 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking north-east to entrances.
VI, Herculaneum, September 2015. Doorway to VI. 31 the latrine on north side of VI.1.
VI.1 Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking east to entrance, on right. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI,1 Herculaneum, May 2010.
East side of Cardo III Superiore, looking east to doorway VI.31 to latrine, on left, and corridor to central baths, VI.1 on right.
VI,1 Herculaneum, May 2010. Doorways to latrine, VI.31 on left, and baths, VI.1/7 on right.
VI,1 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east through entrance doorway into corridor leading to the portico of the palaestra of the baths.
On the left side of the doorway, at the end of the corridor, is the doorway into the dressing room (apodyterium).
The white marble doorway threshold can be seen.
Palaestra
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking east along north wall of portico of palaestra.
According to Maiuri, the portico of the palaestra would also have served as a rest room where the clients of the Baths awaited their turn.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Exterior apse of hot room, caldarium.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west along north wall of portico.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. August 2021.
Looking south-east
across palaestra from near entrance at Ins. VI.1. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum,
March 2014. Looking
south-east across palaestra from near entrance at Ins. VI.1.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. October 2014.
Looking south-east across palaestra from near entrance at Ins. VI.1. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking south-east across palaestra from near entrance at Ins. VI.1.
VI.1/4/5/7, Herculaneum. Photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking
east across rectangular space towards doorway to VI.7, in centre. Photo
courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. Undated postcard entitled “Palestra delle Terme”.
Looking east across open-exercise area of Baths. Photo courtesy of Peter Woods.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking north-east across open-exercise area of Baths.
The doorway of VI.7, can be seen on the
right.
Foto Annette
Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking towards north-west corner of columned portico of palaestra.
The doorway into the dressing room (apodyterium) can be seen, centre right.
VI.1/5/7 Herculaneum. August 2021.
Central baths, looking north-west across palaestra with columned portico. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, April 2013. Looking towards north-west corner of columned portico of palaestra.
The doorway into the dressing room
(apodyterium) can be seen, centre left. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, August 2021.
Looking
towards south-west corner of columned portico of palaestra. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking south-west from east portico
towards columned portico of palaestra. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. March
2014. Looking south-west from east portico.
Foto Annette
Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, April 2013.
Looking towards
south-west corner of columned portico of palaestra. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Apodyterium
VI.1, Herculaneum, August 2021. Looking
north across changing room of men’s baths. Photo
courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1, Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking north across
changing room of men’s baths.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking north across changing room of men’s baths. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Maiuri this was a large room, the best preserved in the men’s section.
Two glass cases in the centre of the room contain the remains of the two skeletons found under the mud-flow on this spot, the first victims discovered in the area of the new excavations; they were probably the custodians of the Thermae who had descended from the upper floor in order to take vain refuge under the robust vault of the tepidarium, when they were submerged under the tide of mud.
See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.37).
(Note: the first edition of this guide book was produced in around 1936, 9 years after the start of the “new excavations”).
According to Deiss, in this room were found two skeletons – a man and a woman. They might have been custodians. In any case they did not flee, thinking they would be safe under the massive thickness of the vault. But they reckoned without the rising mud. Indeed, the vault remains, and so do they.
See Deiss, J.J. 1968. Herculaneum: a city returns to the sun. UK, The History Book Club, (p.114)
VI.1/7, Herculaneum, August 2021.
Looking north across flooring of segmented black, grey and white marble. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Changing/dressing room, or apodyterium of the men’s baths.
Looking north from entrance doorway across floor of segmented black, grey and white marble.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Floor of dressing room or apodyterium.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013.
Detail of floor in opus segmentatum in black, grey and white marble. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Stuccoed vaulted ceiling of dressing room or apodyterium.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013. Detail of strigulated stucco vaulted ceiling in apodyterium. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking north along west wall in dressing room or apodyterium.
VI.1, Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking south along west wall in dressing room or apodyterium.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1, Herculaneum, April 2018. Detail of
ceiling stucco, from upper part of wall. Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King.
Use is subject to Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
VI.1, Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail from west wall.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013. Detail of ceiling stucco, from upper part of wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking south along west wall towards entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1, Herculaneum. Photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking towards south wall, with window and doorway. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.1, Herculaneum. October 2014. Looking towards south wall, with window and doorway. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking towards south-east corner, with shelving for clothing and articles and bench below.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013. Looking south along east wall of apodyterium with remains of a simple red dado.
Around three sides of the room there is a plain podium for the seats, and the shelves with separate recesses for clothes and bath linen.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013.
East wall with bench with remains of red dado above, and above that the shelving recesses for the storage of clothing and bath linen.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
VI.1, Herculaneum. Photo taken between October 2014 and November 2019.
Looking north along east wall. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. East wall.
VI.1/7,
Herculaneum, August 2021.
Looking
across flooring towards north wall with marble basin set in an apse. Photo
courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.1, Herculaneum. August 2013.
North wall of apodyterium with cipollino marble basin (labrum) in an apse. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Maiuri, there was another basin in the corner, both of these were used for the washing of hands and feet before entering the frigidarium or tepidarium.
See Maiuri, A. (1977). Herculaneum, No. 53 of the series of guide-books to the museums, galleries and monuments of Italy, (p.37).
VI.1, Herculaneum. October 2004.
Looking towards the north-west corner of apodyterium, with doorway to corridor to frigidarium, on left. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.1, Herculaneum. October 2004.
Looking west across flooring in north-west corner of apodyterium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.1, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Looking west at detail of flooring in north-west corner of apodyterium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.1, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Looking north across flooring in north-west corner of apodyterium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.1, Herculaneum. September 2003.
Looking south across detail of flooring in north-west corner of apodyterium. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.1, Herculaneum. October 2014.
North wall of apodyterium with cipollino marble basin (labrum) in an apse. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.1, Herculaneum. March 2014.
North wall of apodyterium with cipollino marble basin
(labrum) in an apse.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.1/7, Herculaneum. May 2010. Marble basin in apse at north end of apodyterium.
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