IX.4.5 Pompeii. Terme Centrali or Central Baths. Entrance from Via Stabiana.

Excavated 1876-8, 2003-6. (Strada Stabiana 11). Bombed in 1943.

Terme Centrali or Central Baths Plan      IX.4.18

The photographs for the inside of the baths can be found on the pages for the main entrance at IX.4.18.

These baths were begun after the 62AD earthquake and were still under construction at the time of the eruption in 79AD.

The baths occupied this entire insula whose original houses had been demolished to make way for the new baths.

IX.4.18 on the north side was the main entrance “a” from the Via di Nola.

IX.4.5 on the west side was an entrance into the palaestra “d” from Via Stabiana.

IX.4.10 on the south side was a small entrance into the palaestra “d” past a multi seat latrine “e” from an unnamed vicolo

There were two other smaller entrances from Vicolo di Tesmo, probably service doorways, on the eastern side of the insula at IX.4.15 and 16.

IX.4.15 on the east side led to service area “t” from Vicolo di Tesmo.

This contained the furnace area and a small garden divided from it by a wall.

IX.4.16 on the east side led to an open area “u” from Vicolo di Tesmo.

This had a small peristyle and a corridor that led to apodyterium “i”.

During the excavation, the archaeologists found the remains of the demolished residential houses in the area of the palaestra, which had not been entirely cleared by the people building the new baths.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, June 1877, p. 445, description and finds.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1877, p. 214-223.

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1878, p. 251-254.

See La Rocca, De Vos and De Vos, 1976. Guida Archeologica di Pompei. Mondadori Editore, p. 307-9.

See De Haan, Wallat, Le Terme Centrali di Pompei: Ricerche e scavi 2003-2006, in Nuove ricerche archeologiche nell'area vesuviana (scavi 2003-2006): SAP 25: pp. 15-24.

IX.4.5 Pompeii, with gate, in centre. 1966. Looking north along the east side of Via Stabiana. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.

Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.

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IX.4.5 Pompeii. December 2009. Entrance from Via Stabiana, between shops.

IX.4.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Entrance from Via Stabiana, looking east into the palaestra “d”.

These baths were begun after the 62AD earthquake and were still under construction at the time of the eruption in 79AD.

The baths occupied this entire insula whose original houses had been demolished to make way for the new baths.

The main entrance “a” was on the Via di Nola at IX.4.18.

An entrance in the unnamed vicolo on the south side at IX.4.10 also led onto the palaestra “d” past a multi seat latrine “e”.

There were two other smaller entrances from Vicolo di Tesmo, probably service doorways, on the eastern side of the insula at IX.4.15 and 16.

IX.4.15 led to service area “t” which contained the furnace area and a small garden divided from it by a wall.

IX.4.16 led to an open area “u” which had a small peristyle and a corridor that led to apodyterium “i”.

During the excavation, the archaeologists found the remains of the demolished residential houses in the area of the palaestra, which had not been entirely cleared by the people building the new baths.

On the east side of the palaestra, on the far side of the green grass in the photo, a depression was found where the large outdoor swimming pool “h” was to built.

Also found was the water channel leading to the latrine “e” (in the room near to IX.4.10), where the waste water from the pool would have been used to flush the latrine.

See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, June 1877, (p.445, description and finds).

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1877, (p.214-223)

See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1878, (p.251-254)

See La Rocca, De Vos and De Vos, 1976. Guida Archeologica di Pompei. Mondadori Editore, p. 307-9.

IX.4.5 Pompeii. December 2019.

Looking east from entrance into Central Baths on east side of Via Stabiana. Photo courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella.

IX.4.5 Pompeii. October 2009. Looking east from entrance across palaestra “d”. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

The window and door on the far left side is the apodyterium or vestibule “i”, leading to possible shops “k”, “l”, “m”, “n” and “o”.

The next three windows in the centre are the apodyterium or frigidarium “p”.

The three windows on the left are the tepidarium “q”.

The taller building on the extreme right is the caldarium “s”.

IX.4.5 Pompeii. May 2005. Looking east across palaestra “d” to, left to right, apodyterium “p”, tepidarium “q” and caldarium “s”.

Terme Centrali or Central Baths Plan      IX.4.18