The city of Toledo is monumental, either for its streets and architecture or for its tapas bars. The fact is that it is always worth a visit. And it is that few places in the world have known how to preserve a heritage that dates back to the Neolithic period, which is said to be early. All the peoples that have ever come to the Iberian Peninsula have left their mark here. Including, of course, the Romans. They give good proof of it the cold pools of the 2nd century on Navarro Ledesma streetintegrated into a Roman labyrinth 3,000 meters underground in the city center.
In the 80s it was thought that this labyrinthine structure, which is actually the most important public thermal complex in Spain, was part of the hydraulic supply of the city. However, in 2004 the hot springs were discovered and their importance began to be suspected.
Not only do they have it because they date from between the end of the 1st century and the middle of the 2nd century of the common era, it is also one of the few thermal complexes of this type that are preserved in the world, just like those found in North Africa. A space that illustrates the monumentality that the city of Toledo must have had in Roman times.
@turismo.toledo.es
The dimensions of this caldariumthe careful planning of its construction and the materials used in its decoration (such as marble, statues…) allow us to determine the public character of the building, raised, without any doubt, under the auspices of the Imperial power.
These archaeological vestiges can be visited for free at the Consorcio Cultural Resources Center, in Amador de los Ríos square. Some galleries in which a replica of the Roman marble statue found in the excavations: a naked male torso, approximately one meter in length, which experts place between the 1st and 4th century.
However, much remains to be seen. The archaeological work continues and the mayoress has already announced that they will now focus on theThe place where the old temple of San Juan de la Leche existedwhich collapsed and which, it seems, could have been built on the remains of the baths.
The latest findings from the imperial Roman baths of Toledo, from the 2nd century AD, continue to confirm the importance that our city had in Roman Hispania. In Toledo there would be a monumental thermal complex and some of those archaeological remains have been on display for years. pic.twitter.com/9XcRSgtr7t
– ConsortiumToledo (@ConsorcioToledo) March 6, 2023
Perhaps visitors can see a glimpse of what it was in the not too distant future. However, what we do not have to keep waiting for is to see first-hand the cold pools of the thermal baths, who met a few months ago under number 2 Navarro Ledesma street.
This enclave can be visited now, Tuesday to Saturdaythrough the Unknown Heritage routes in which the pools and the remains of the marble coverings that are preserved from this highly symmetrical complex, where the same rooms are reproduced on one axis and the other, will be shown.
In this way they built the imperial baths, which consisted of bathrooms; cold rooms; temperate; hot rooms and other added services, such as kitchens or the arena, where they did exercises.
Cover photo | wei hunag
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