About Constantine Baths – Arles
The Constantine Baths (Thermes de Constantin) are a well preserved set of ancient Roman public baths in the Provence town of Arles.
Constantine Baths history
Dating back to the 4th century AD, the Constantine Baths would once have formed part of an imperial palace known as Palais Constantine. It is also thought that this was one of three sets of public baths in Roman Arles.
The first ancient roman baths were discovered the Republic square in 1675, when the erection of the obelisk and are therefore today beneath this monument. Another spa construction, including the hypothetical remains plan, was built near the beginning of the 3rd century outside the walls, to the South of the city. These two institutions are the baths of Constantine described here. The structural and fnctional success of the baths is duemainly to the invention of the tepidaria. They allowed to circulate warm air under the floor of the elevated parts through the tendons of bricks, the suspensura. The air is then evacuated through the vertical channels of the tubuli, doubling the walls. These elements are still clearly visible in the thermal baths of Arles.
Constantine Baths today
Today, visitors can see the well-preserved remains of the Constantine Baths, the excavated part being only its northern area. Whilst only a fraction of these baths are visible, what can be seen is fascinating and includes several of the bathing sections. The Constantine Baths are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There are also a number of other Roman sites in Arles that visitors should try and see, including Arles Roman Theatre, Arles Amphitheatre, and the Archaeological Museum.
Getting to Constantine Baths
The address of the Constantine Baths is Rue du Grand-Prieuré, 13200 Arles. A €9 ticket allows entry to this site and the four other ancient roman sites in Arles.
The Constantine Baths are reachable in around 5 minutes by foot from the centre of Arles and Stairway Trinquetaille Bridge. The bath are also roughly a 5 minute walk away from Arles Amphitheatre.
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