Aquae Helveticae was a

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus r ...

and

mineral spa Mineral spas are destination spa, spa resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral springs. Like seaside resorts, they are mainly used recreationally although they also figured prominently in traditional medicine, prescientific medicine. ...

established in the 1st century AD near the

Roman legion The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...

camp of

Vindonissa Vindonissa (from a Gaulish toponym in *''windo-'' "white") was a Roman legion camp, vicus and later a bishop's seat at modern Windisch, Switzerland. The remains of the camp are listed as a heritage site of national significance. The city of Br ...

. It is in and was the origin of the name of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

History

The hot springs, located at a bend in the

Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluenc ...

river near the legion camp at

, were discovered around 20 AD. The hot (), mineral rich water was prized by the Romans and a settlement quickly developed around the springs. By the middle of the 1st century a good sized settlement surrounded the mineral baths. In 69 AD, during the

Year of the Four Emperors The Year of the Four Emperors, AD 69, was the first civil war of the Roman Empire, during which four emperors ruled in succession: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian. It is considered an important interval, marking the transition from the ...

, the XXI Legion burned the wooden vicus or settlement to the ground. Aquae Helveticae was rebuilt in stone in the following years. When the legion abandoned Vindonissa in 101, the local economy shrank. However, by the second half of the 2nd century the settlement experienced another golden age. During this time, pottery and bronze from Aquae Helveticae were traded throughout the region. During the 3rd century a series of invasions by the

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...

led to the settlement being abandoned. However, the baths continued to operate. In the 4th century a defensive wall was built around the baths and coins continued to be minted in Aquae Helveticae. The mineral springs probably continued to be used in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

though no written records remain. 7th century graveyards have been discovered at Kappelerhof and Ländli located west and south respectively of the baths, indicating that the area remained occupied. Some of the baths remained in operation from the 4th/5th century until the 9th century. According to archaeological evidence in the 11th century some of the Roman-era baths were repaired and returned to operation. By the 13th or 14th centuries the baths were rebuilt and reappear in the historical record. But by that time the Roman Aquae Helveticae was replaced with Germanic Baden.

Site layout

The main road through the vicus was the army road leading to Vindonissa. This road was flanked with shops and residential buildings with large arcades or

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

s providing shoppers with protection from the weather and heat. Behind the shops were living quarters and then courtyards with outbuildings and workshops. The center of the settlement had several

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

s. The ruins of three baths have been discovered, though others may have existed.

Excavation

Much of the settlement of Aquae Helveticae is located under the town of Baden, making exploration difficult. In 2018 during demolition of the Staadhof Hotel workers discovered 2000 year old wooden beams which supported the baths. Cantonal archaeology then excavated and discovered a large floor, a long wall and a drain that may have fed other pools. In 2020, a well-preserved Roman bath was discovered in Baden, dates back to 2,000 years ago.

References

External links

{{Authority control 1st-century establishments in Switzerland 20s establishments in the Roman Empire Archaeological sites in Switzerland Former populated places in Switzerland Helvetii Populated places established in the 1st century Roman towns and cities in Switzerland Roman towns in Germania

History

Site layout

Excavation

See also

References

External links