Ancient World

Ancient Baths of Alauna

The ancient baths of Alauna are a Gallo-Roman thermal complex located in the French commune of Valognes in the north of Manche. North of the ancient city of Alauna, now covered by pastures and hedgerows of the Norman bocage in the 21st century, the baths are situated near a road considered the cardo maximus. It is believed that they were constructed in the latter part of the first century and fell out of use two centuries later. The masonry of the baths was repurposed over time, but the site saw some reinvestment towards the end of the Middle Ages. The baths of Alauna exhibit a symmetrical architecture, featuring identical rooms on both sides of an axis, placing them in the category of baths with a symmetrical plan, similar to the Baths of Nero, albeit on a smaller scale (1,225 m2). The remains, still partially standing at about twelve meters, have been a part of the landscape since antiquity. In the late 17th century, they were officially recognized as the ruins of an ancient thermal establishment. The site was completely excavated in the early 1990s, and its plan was fully restored before being developed into an archaeological garden. Recent studies are uncovering probable annex buildings near the complex. The baths of Alauna have been protected as a historical monument since 1862.

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See also

• ▸Elephanta Caves
• ▸Books in the Netherlands
• ▸Babylon

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