Taurine or Trajan Baths archaeological area

The Casale dei Bagni spa area, located north of Civitavecchia, is evidence of hot spring use dating back to Etruscan and Roman times. The original complex, built in Republican times, was later significantly expanded under Emperor Hadrian. It consisted of various thermal rooms, such as tepidarium, laconicum, calidarium, and changing rooms heated through the hypocaust system, which allowed heat to spread under floors and walls.

The oldest core features circular and basilica-like rooms with pools for immersion at high temperatures and rooms for conversation and rest. The Hadrianic extension added a monumental sector with a large pool covered by a cross vault, decorative niches, and floors of fine marble. The structure was richly decorated with stucco, colored plasterwork and rare marble. The complex, spread over about two hectares, also included spaces for outdoor cold baths, massages and a special room called heliocaminus, which used solar heat for sweat baths. It is speculated that the area was connected to an imperial villa mentioned by Pliny the Younger.

After the end of the Roman Empire, the baths went into decline and were abandoned following the Gothic wars. The legend accompanying the site is that a divine bull allegedly caused the hot springs to spring. The Taurine Baths represent an important example of Roman thermal culture and its social and therapeutic role.