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Origin and history

The thermal baths of Saint-Saloine, located in Saintes (formerly Mediolanum Santonum), date from the Upper Empire and were built towards the end of the 1st century AD, marking the third phase of development of a site occupied from the beginning of our Common Era. Initially, the land housed workshops or houses (State 1), then an unidentified public building (State 2) before the construction of the monumental thermal baths (State 3). The latter, fed by an aqueduct, were embellished between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, then abandoned during late antiquity, perhaps due to increasing insecurity or the decline of thermal practices.

Ranked historic monuments in 1904, the remains visible today represent only part of the original complex, the western half having disappeared. Among the elements preserved are the caldarium (hot room), the laconicum (sudation room), and a monumental fountain on the southern wall of the caldarium, fed by the same aqueduct as the thermal baths. The exact function of this fountain, as well as the extent of service parts (such as praefurnia for heating), remain partially hypothetical due to successive destructions.

The site was reused after antiquity: transformed into a paleo-Christian sanctuary, then into a Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Saloine, it became a necropolis in late and medieval times, as attested by the found sarcophagi. In the 19th century, excavations carried out by the Morand family (or Moran) and subsequent interventions (notably in 1906) partially documented the spa plan, although areas remain inaccessible. The Saint-Vivian cemetery, adjacent to the site, also disturbed the remains during its extensions.

The thermal baths were located in a structured urban context: they dominated the ravine of Saint-Saloine and the Charente valley, and were bordered to the north by a decumanus (east-west road) and to the east by a cardo (north-south road), probably flanked by shops. Their abandonment coincided with the decline of Mediolanum Santonum, whose area increased from 100 to 15 hectares, and the reallocation of many public buildings. Today, they constitute, with the arch of Germanicus and the amphitheatre, one of the few ancient testimonies visible in elevation to Saints.

The interpretation of certain developments, such as the fountain or the possible extension of the card to the south (bridge or impasse), is still being debated among archaeologists. The current, though fragmentary, remains offer an overview of Roman techniques: masonry in opus vittatum, hypocaustes for heating, and marble decorations. Their study is based on a variety of sources, including Georg Braun's plans (1560) and 20th century excavations, although some data remain incomplete or unpublished.

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