Ancient Thermalism in the Northern Adriatic. On a Recent Study by Maddalena Bassani

Thermalism in antiquity constituted a complex cultural system in which therapeutic practices, architectural forms, cult activities, and territorial organization were structurally intertwined, reflecting the centrality of water in religious, economic, and social life. Focusing on the Northern Adriatic, this article investigates thermo-mineral springs as active agents in landscape formation and settlement dynamics, engaging in critical dialogue with Maddalena Bassani’s recent study, which places particular emphasis on the Fons Timavi and the Fons Aponi. Through an integrated analysis of archaeological data, literary testimonies, mythological traditions, and previously unpublished archival materials, the study reconstructs long-term patterns in the exploitation and conceptualization of thermal waters from protohistory to the Roman period. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of mythopoetic narratives in shaping cult practices and framing the perceived salutary efficacy of springs, as well as on the multifunctional character of thermal sites, which operated simultaneously as therapeutic, ritual, and productive spaces. This interpretive framework advances a renewed perspective on the cultural and socio-economic history of the Northern Adriatic, viewing thermo-mineral contexts as hybrid nodes where natural resources, divine agency, human communities, and economic activities converged.