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Origin and history

The remains of a Roman bath facility in Koestlach, located in the Upper Rhine (Great East), are the remains of a private thermal complex attached to a Gallo-Roman villa in the Upper Empire. These spas, partially excavated, reveal solid foundations, walls preserved up to 1.60 m high, and traces of hypocaust, mosaics and polychrome coatings. The villa, with a minimum length of 70 metres, had a peristyle courtyard and at least fourteen rooms, some of which were dedicated to baths. No pre-Roman occupation was identified.

The construction of the thermal baths is estimated between the middle of the second century and the first half of the fourth century, although precise dates are lacking due to the disappearance of archaeological furniture, with the exception of some currencies. The site, abandoned at the end of the fourth century, was then occupied by a Merovingian necropolis. The first records of the villa date back to 1857, during road works, but systematic excavations did not begin until 1904, led by Karl Gutmann. The classification of historical monuments took place in 1907.

The thermal architecture includes a room with hypocauste, a mosaic on the ground and walls decorated with colourful coatings, typical of Roman seaside facilities. An adjacent room with a central base that probably supported a vault suggests a heated space. The villa, facing east-west, extended on a natural terrace sloping, with deep foundations of 60 cm. Despite limited excavations, the site offers a rare testimony of aristocratic dwellings and their thermal equipment in Roman Gaul.

The remains, located at 35 rue des Romans in Koestlach, are partially covered by this modern way. Their state of conservation and their location make a notable example of Roman adaptation to the Alsatian relief. The absence of detailed inventory of archaeological furniture, however, limits the fine understanding of their use and chronology. The site remains an important marker of Romanization in the Upper Rhine, illustrating the way of life of local elites under the Empire.

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