©MarinaDeFranceschini - Progetto Accademia
25 - BATHS WITH HELIOCAMINUS Description
This thermal building owes its name to the circular hall HL17 which has a large dome still half standing.
In 1922 it was excavated by Paribeni who found no traces of water pipes and deduced that it was the "Heliocaminus" mentioned in some ancient sources, which was used for sunbathing and sandblasting.
The studies of Verduchi and Cicerchia have shown instead that it was a sudatio, i.e. the warmest room in the thermal plant.
In rooms HL2-3-4 there was the apodyterium, or changing room, while in rooms HL11, 15 and 16 they were the tepidaria, which were slightly heated.
The warmest room was Calidarium HL14 with basins for hot water.
The Frigidarium of the Baths
The Frigidarium, i.e. the room for cold baths was HL9, richly paved in opus sectile with cipollino marble. It opened with two columns onto the HL5 portico, surrounding the large HL6 basin of cold water, which was descended by steps. A second smaller basin was in the HL10 niche.
The octagonal hall HL18 has four semicircular niches on the four sides, and its roof is perfectly preserved. In rooms HL19, 20 and 22, part of the floors in opus sectile or the imprints of the marble slabs are preserved. In other rooms is the reconstructio n of the suspensurae, i.e. the brick pillars that were used to raise the floors so as to create a cavity under them into which the hot air from the heating was introduced.
In this building a copy of the statue of crouching Aphrodite of Doidalses was found, and other sculptures now in the Roman National Museum at Rome.
Praefurnium of the Baths
Function and meaning
The rich decoration with opus sectile pavements prove that the building was part of the noble quarters, and was the thermal facility reserved for them, while the Small Baths were exclusive to the Imperial Residence.
Note the use of cipollino marble which is frequently used in thermal buildings due to its color with water-green streaks that recall water.
SEE: Marina De Franceschini, Villa Adriana. Mosaici, pavimenti, edifici. Roma 1991. pp. 175-184 e 422-427.
Cicerchia 1985; Manderscheid 1998 e 2010; Paribeni 1922; Sgalambro 2009; Verduchi 1975.