Una testa ideal inédita en las termas públicas de Caldes de Montbui

Abstract

Caldes de Montbui, located in the Vallès Oriental region just north of the city of Barcelona, is home to the preserved remains of Roman thermae. These were built to take advantage of hot springs that naturally emerge there at 76°C. These waters are still used today, and are the signature feature of this renowned spa town. The remains of the Roman thermae are located at the heart of the city, in the historic centre of Caldes de Montbui, in Font del Lleó square. Due to refurbishment of the square, the Roman settlement containing the thermae has been extensively excavated for the first time. The oldest occupation has been dated to the 2nd cent. BC, and it would have lasted until the 6th cent. AD. It presents various additions; one of these, dated to the 2nd cent. AD, included the construction of a large natatio. The marble head studied in this paper was found inside the destruction layer of this natatio. We suggest that this head corresponds to a full-length sculpture of the god Apollo, a deity associated with mineral-medicinal hot springs, and to whom various votive epigraphs were offered. The typology is delimited within the versions of Apollo Citharoedus; based on its style, we propose a chronology within the time of Hadrian