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Origin and history

The Roman baths of Evaux-les-Bains were integrated into a Gallo-Roman vicus, built around thermal springs springing in a steep valley, 600 meters north of the present town. This site, linked to the local divinity IVAOS (attested by an inscription on a bronze patère), also served as a road junction. To exploit the water, the Romans dug a 350 m2 platform in the rock, cast a 3.50 m thick concrete slab, and set up some 40 wells capturing the sources.

The construction of the thermal baths and their access gallery (600 m long) probably dates back to the second half of the first century. The whole, destroyed by fire in the third century (after 260), was partially restored and reused in the fourth century. The thermal baths, built between cliffs, included adorned basins, bathtubs, and ovens fed by 60°C springs. A 17 km underground aqueduct from Reterre provided the site with drinking water with a calculated elevation of 120 m.

The remains still visible include more than 40 wells, 5 swimming pools (including a circular caldarium), bathtubs, and the remains of a covered gallery of 700 m, possibly linked to a temple. A bronze patère, dedicated by a legionnaire, bears witness to the ancient fame of the thermal baths for treating leg pain. Ranked as historical monuments in 1840, these remains now belong to the commune.

The vicus d'Evaux drew its prosperity from the thermal springs, but also from its strategic position on roads. The dedication to IVAOS ("Vimpuro Firmi lib. Ivav V.S.L.M."), engraved with a punch, reveals a local cult associated with healing waters. The lake, guided by the level curves, illustrates the Roman know-how in hydraulics, while the monumental gallery, linking the vicus to the thermal baths, suggests a planned urban organization.

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