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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The remains of the Roman baths, located in the basements of the so-called Lamartine house in Aix-les-Bains (Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), form a protected area of nearly 1000 m2. They represent part of a vast Roman seaside complex, partially identified during earlier excavations. The ensemble, more than 160 meters long and 40 meters deep, dates from antiquity and was a major thermal place from the first century BC, dedicated to the worship of sources and the Gallic god Borvo.

The thermal baths, classified as a historic monument in 1921, consist of three distinct zones: an original tuff and brick nymph, ponds on hypocaust (including the Bath of Caesar, octagonal), and heated halls decorated with marble. Three phases of construction are attested: the end of the first century (pools and bathtubs), the beginning of the second century (rooms on hypocaustes), and a third phase adding new heated rooms. A partial destruction between the third and fifth centuries was followed by a gradual abandonment, except for a swimming pool used until the 19th century.

The remains, accessible by stairs or doors from the large thermal hall, are covered with a slab supported by 22 pillars. Outstanding features include a cul-de-four apse, gargoyles, mosaics, and marble benches. In 1934, the water source, formerly used for the baths of the poor, was destroyed. Only part of the site was searched, suggesting a much larger extent of the original facilities.

The site illustrates the architectural and cultural evolution of the Roman baths in Gaul, combining heating techniques (hypocaust), luxurious decorations (marble, mosaics), and social functions (cult, hygiene, leisure). The inscriptions dedicated to Borvo confirm the link between thermalism and local religious practices, while the medieval and modern re-use of certain structures underscores the durability of their use.

The location of the remains, on the first heights of the city centre (rue du Bain-Henri-IV), on the edge of the Chantemerle-Saint-Pol district, reflects their integration into ancient urban planning. Their classification in 1921 allowed their preservation, offering today a unique testimony of the monumental thermal baths that made the fame of Aix-les-Bains from antiquity. The materials used (tuf, bricks, marry limestone) and the techniques (voûts, hypocaustes) reveal a Roman know-how adapted to local resources.

Despite partial destructions and condemnations of certain areas, the accessible remains partially reconstruct the spatial organization of the thermal baths: wetlands (pools, ponds), heated spaces (room on hypocaust), and places of worship (nymphaeus). Their study also sheds light on Roman seaside practices, combining hygiene, health, and sociability, in a thermal city among the most famous in Gaul.

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