Bagno Grande Sanctuary, San Casciano dei Bagni

Santuario del Bagno Grande

Italy · Tuscany

Temple / ritual siteExcavation ongoing
Approximate period300 BCE — 400 CEEtruscan and Roman periods See on the map ↓

In brief

Bagno Grande is an Etruscan and Roman sanctuary that developed around a hot spring. Water and mud preserved bronze offerings and some organic remains.

What was found?

  • 1Bronze votive statues

    These are human figures preserved in the water and mud of the thermal pool. The preservation of their find contexts makes it possible to investigate how the statues were offered at the sanctuary.

  • 2Large bronze snake

    A bearded and horned example measuring more than 90 cm was found in the 2024 excavation. According to researchers, it may represent the agathodaimon regarded as the spring's guardian spirit.

  • 3Inscribed anatomical offerings

    Offerings in the form of arms, heads, legs, and half-torsos were found. Etruscan and Latin inscriptions help identify the dedicators and the sacred beings they addressed.

  • 4Republican- and Imperial-period coins

    According to the ministry's 2024 announcement, more than 10.000 coins were found at the sanctuary. They document votive practices maintained in different periods.

  • 5Votive eggs

    Egg fragments and some whole examples were preserved in the mud. According to researchers, these offerings may be associated with rituals of rebirth and renewal.

What does it point to?

Bagno Grande was a sanctuary where the pursuit of health and religious practices came together around hot water. According to researchers, the finds show ritual continuity in the transition from the Etruscans to the Romans.

What did it teach us?

  1. Etruscan and Latin votive inscriptions were present in the same sanctuary.
  2. Offerings depicting body parts document religious practices associated with health.
  3. The thermal water and mud preserved organic offerings as well as bronzes.

Latest news / selected archive

The 2024 excavations found new bronze figures, a large bronze snake and eggs, some preserved whole.

Record

Culture
Etruscan and Roman
First modern dig
2019
Team / historical
Jacopo Tabolli and Emanuele Mariotti; University for Foreigners of Siena and the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni
Coordinates
42.8711°, 11.8720°

Sources

  1. unistrasi.it
  2. it.wikipedia.org
  3. İtalya Kültür Bakanlığı — 2024 Bagno Grande keşifleri

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