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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The baths of Courcelles are the remains of a vast Gallo-Roman thermal complex, built in the second century on the territory of the present commune of Mandeur, in the department of Doubs. Located east of the ancient city of Epomanduodurum — ancestor of Mandeura — these public baths were fed by the source of Courcelles. Their destruction occurred at the end of the same century, although the reasons remained undetermined. The excavations, initiated in 1829 and completed in 1969 and 1988, reveal a building of more than 2,000 m2 with marble and dardian slab rooms, bleached basins, and hypocaustes, confirming their collective vocation.

Archaeological discoveries reveal wall decorations and ground heating systems (hypocaustes), typical of Roman thermal baths. Three rooms equipped with basins suggest a spatial organization dedicated to hot, warm and cold baths. The site, which has been listed as a historical monument since 14 September 1990, is now buried and inaccessible to the visit. His study, however, sheds light on the urbanization of Epomanduodurum, the major Roman city of Franche-Comté, and its hydraulic network exploiting local resources.

Contemporary to the ancient theatre of Mandeur, the baths of Courcelles illustrate the importance of leisure and public hygiene in Gallo-Roman cities. Their proximity to the source, still visible today, highlights the Roman know-how in hydraulic engineering. Although the remains are not visible, their heritage protection bears witness to their historical value in understanding daily life in Roman Gaul, between thermalism, sociability and monumental architecture.

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