Healing Spas in the Arverni Territory (France, Auvergne Rhône Alpes)
Résumé
The Arvernian territory is located in the heart of the Massif Central (central France), a highland region largely shaped by ancient volcanism and teeming with thermal waters, hot or cold, salty or not, exploited at least since the Roman period and very widely used in the 19th century. Curative bathing is attested to since the beginning of the Roman Empire, in different forms: from simple springs equipped to receive ex-votos to thermal facilities, some situated near important urban centres (Vichy-Cusset, Royat-Chamalières), and others remotely located in mountains (small urban centre of Le Mont-Dore). This territory is strewn with thermal baths and healing springs where practices are diverse but always under gods patronage.This article aims to present an overview of the current research in this region, carried out by various teams. After a general
presentation of the Arvernian territory (mineral water resources and the spatial organisation during Roman period), we will show the current state of archaeological knowledge on Roman thermalism in this area, mainly focused on Vichy-Cusset and Le Mont-Dore.
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