Pompeii excavation unearths private spa for wooing wealthy guests
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Thermal bath complex is latest discovery among ruins of Italian city destroyed by Vesuvius eruption in AD79. A large and sophisticated thermal bath complex that was believed to have been used by its owner to woo well-heeled guests has been discovered among the ruins of ancient Pompeii.
![[Two ancient jugs]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4d6145ef1bf6b06fa0f8412d333381f8adeacd81/0_5_1500_900/master/1500.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The baths were found during excavations of a home on Via di Nola in Regio IX, a wealthy district of the city before it was destroyed by the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The home spa is one of the largest of a handful of its kind found so far at the Pompeii archaeological park in southern Italy.
![[A large ancient room ]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/636867e177ae8f23a6ca02470f9bfdd843df56c6/0_0_1500_1001/master/1500.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The complex was connected to an exquisite banquet room replete with frescoes depicting characters inspired by the Trojan war that was unearthed last year, leading experts to conclude that the dwelling, believed to have belonged to a member of Pompeii’s elite, was used as a stage for the owner to affirm their social status, possibly even to promote candidacy in elections.
“It’s an example of how the Roman domus served as a stage for an art and culture show, which the owner staged in order to gain votes or ingratiate himself with the goodwill of the guests,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii archaeological park.
The spa complex was equipped to host up to 30 people, who would have moved between three pools: the caldarium (hot), the tepidarium (lukewarm) and the frigidarium (cold). The cold room, which contained a courtyard with a portico, was particularly impressive, the experts said.
