Summer is on its way, and it comes with thermal news… !
We will start the month of June with a Colloquium on Thermalism and cities in the Western Empire, which will take place on the campus of the University of Nanterre, in Paris, the 17-18th June 2024, coordinated by Ricardo González-Villaescusa and Carlotta Franceschelli.
In the context of the European project Civitates et Urbes Europae (CivEUr): Histoire, protection et projet urbain de la ville européenne, the CivEUr Chaire aims to valorise the teachings and research already in place in the different components of the University Paris Nanterre, in order to deepen the field of European studies on the history of the European City.
One of the proposals focuses on Thermalism and Cities, recognising the singularity of these waters, as “a distinction was well established between fresh and thermal waters, endowed with particular physico-chemical characteristics that made them suitable for therapeutic use. The practice of thermalism (hot springs, medical springs…) were therefore two different realities, with the consequences that this could have on material, socio-economic and cultural levels”.
In accordance with this consideration, the aim of this workshop is to consider this reflection on three aspects of ancient thermalism in the context of the cities of the Western Roman Empire:
– Facilities linked to curative practices.
– The urban genesis of thermal waters and the integration of thermal buildings into the urban space.
– The connection with places of worship or sanctuaires.
These and other aspects will be developed through the presentation of case studies in Gaul and, more broadly, in the Western Roman Empire.
See you in Paris next month!
