Fürdők – Fürdőhelyek, Magyarország fürdőépítészete (Budapest, 2008)
ASPECTS OF BALNEOLOGY The history of balneology cannot be studied without having a look at the huge-sized bathhouses of the ancient world, the facilities built by Caracalla and Domitianus, which impress the tourists even today and have not been built ever since. Although the Roman Empire disintegrated, the love of bathing did survive and these places are of high importance in our history of culture. Expectations on hygiene are under current change though, our longing for bathing has not ceased to be a desire, be it a place for medicinal bathing or a simple pool for swimming. By studying the places of bathing we easily come to know the ways they used these buildings. Water, perhaps the most important element of our every day life, has always been and is present today: it plays the most important role if used for bathing or used for drinking as medicinal waters. In our case, bathing starts in the 16th century and ends in the 19th century, when every day bathing was no more a problem for anyone. In the ancient times demands for sports, recreation or culture in a bathing house were completely met. Health resorts have never ceased to be popular since the ancient times. In the Middle-Ages they were called "rough(natural)" waters, which did not mean that bathing took place in nature, but the origin of the natural waters. Health-giving dwells or acid-waters always meant cold mineral waters. The healing effects of these waters have been described since as early as the 1st century A. D. In a script of 1210 we can read about the bathing facilities of Pozzuoli and Bajae 2 . From the 16th century on a small collection of books were published on bathing and health resorts. About Europe's early bathhouses, chronicles and diaries give a detailed picture. These works tell us about the healing effects of these waters as well as the social and architectural backgrounds. In the 16th-century literature you could read about the facts that the bathhouses were also used by the poor, and small cells or rooms were at the disposal of those of a higher social position. Spring water was gained from stone built springs, and the poor were allowed to use overflowing water. The first bathhouse as an independent architectural unit was created in the 17th century. The good fame of Pyrmont (Lower-Saxony) is due to the good deed of Count Waldeck. The octagonal layout of the spring with a dynamic shape of dome as well as the "spring alley" and the "main alley" bordered by lime trees in four rows make it a famous promenade even today. The extension of the bathhouse with places of accommodation was resulted by ' From the book of 'Balnea - Architekturgeschichte des Bades' edited by Susanne Grötz and Ursula Quecke (Jonas Verlag 2006) 2 Ancient bath places in Italy
