The Vanves baths | Paris antique

View of the caldarium of the Vanves baths. Bathers circulated through the baths on floors built on stacks of bricks, a system that allowed the floors to be heated.

Photo © X. Peixoto / INRAP.

View of the caldarium of the Vanves baths. Bathers circulated through the baths on floors built on stacks of bricks, a system that allowed the floors to be heated.

At Vanves, in the Lutetian countryside, the recent discovery of a Roman bathing complex could indicate that a large water sanctuary of the Parisii stood on this spot. A very ancient road linked this site to the capital city, and its arrival in the city's southwest corner probably was a determining factor for one of Lutetia's secondary urban orientations.