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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman ruins of Bourbonne-les-Bains, integrated into the park of the current thermal establishment, are the remains of an ancient site dedicated to baths, operated since Roman times. Their precise location in the Haute-Marne department, in the Grand Est region, is attested by written and archaeological sources. These thermal baths, whose use continues throughout the centuries, have left material traces such as mosaics, basins (including an octagonal), and objects such as coins or statuettes, discovered during successive excavations.

The modern history of the ruins began in the 18th century, with written records of repairs for the royal troops (1702, 1763) and arrangements by engineer Gautier, who captured the hot (Patrice) and cold (Matrelle) springs for a military hospital inaugurated in 1727. Denis Diderot, passing through 1770, evokes the archaeological discoveries of previous decades, including paving stones and earthenware. Excavations continued in the 19th and 20th centuries: mining engineers modernized the thermal baths between 1857 and 1883, while archaeological campaigns (1863, 1880, 1977-1978) documented the site, revealing 4,700 coins in 1874.

The monument has been protected since 1925, the date of its inscription as historical monuments. The remains, owned by a private company, include Gallo-Roman structures like a sump and basins, testifying to Roman hydraulic engineering. Their study has made it possible to understand the evolution of thermal practices, from ancient times to the military and medical reuses of modern times. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight the importance of the site in local and regional history, linked to the exploitation of thermal waters.

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