San Casciano dei Bagni, come suggerisce il nome, è una località termale situata all’estremo sud della Toscana, in provincia di Siena. È un piccolo borgo collinare, antico e quieto, circondato dai boschi e dai campi coltivati che si estendono a perdita d’occhio. Oltre ad essere un luogo molto suggestivo, San Casciano è anche uno scrigno di tesori preziosi.
Le Origini Etrusche e Romane
Tutta questa zona della Toscana ricade fra i territori occupati anticamente dalle popolazioni etrusche. Si stima, infatti, che queste sorgenti fossero già note nel III secolo a.C., e che gli Etruschi, riconoscendo all’acqua un valore sacro e comprendendone i suoi effetti benefici, vi fecero nascere un culto salutifero. È grazie a queste acque che San Casciano dei Bagni è, in epoca moderna, una località turistica molto rinomata. Ma, a dire la verità, i documenti storici testimoniano che lo fosse già al tempo dell’Impero Romano! Era, infatti, una delle mete predilette per rigenerarsi nel corpo e nello spirito dell’imperatore Ottaviano Augusto.
Dopo gli Etruschi furono i romani ad abitare la zona, corrispondente all’estremità sudoccidentale del territorio chiamato Ager Clusinus, consolidando gli impianti termali che nel corso del tempo ospitarono i bagni di imperatori come Ottaviano Augusto e di poeti classici come Orazio.
Il Santuario del Bagno Grande
Gli scavi archeologici in corso ormai da qualche anno hanno recentemente riportato alla luce un tesoro nascosto ancora più antico, risalente all’epoca etrusca. I primi reperti interessanti sono stati rinvenuti già tempo fa, ma è di queste ultime settimane il ritrovamento più grande e rilevante, sia storicamente che artisticamente. Questo perlomeno per ora, poiché gli scavi vanno avanti e potrebbero riservare ancora molte sorprese. I ritrovamenti sono datati dal II al I secolo a.C. e sono stati rinvenuti in quella che attualmente è l’area delle vasche termali libere, pubbliche, detta il “Bagno Grande”, che si è scoperto, sorge proprio su quello che è stato, in un passato remoto, un santuario.
In the context of the Bagno Grande sanctuary in San Casciano dei Bagni, unique finds have emerged that illuminate the Etruscan and Roman past: statues, coins, votive objects and inscriptions. The most important finds are the incredible bronze snake statues: one of them is perhaps the largest ever found.
Le Scoperte del 2024
In San Casciano dei Bagni, a small town in the province of Siena known for its hot springs and the exceptional discovery of a deposit of ancient bronzes unearthed in 2022, the year 2024 also closes with an extraordinary archaeological revelation. The Etruscan and Roman sanctuary of Bagno Grande continues to offer a unique window into the history and worship of sacred waters, and just today the results of the recent excavation campaign were announced in the presence of Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, Tuscany Region President Eugenio Giani and other institutional and cultural figures.
The event, which included the screening of a preview of Rai Storia Italia’s documentary , Journey into Beauty, revealed new aspects of a place that has combined faith, nature and medicine for millennia.The excavation of the Bagno Grande of San Casciano dei Bagni is under excavation concession to the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni by the General Directorate of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape and was created in collaboration with the ABAP Superintendence for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo and the scientific coordination of the University for Foreigners of Siena. Conservation and restoration work takes place in collaboration with the Central Institute for Restoration.
“With immense pleasure, at the conclusion of the latest excavation campaign, we share another chapter in the extraordinary history of Bagno Grande, which has helped to reinforce the importance and centrality of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary,” said Gabriele Nannetti, superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo. “The recent discoveries are also an additional incentive for the planning, which has already begun, of the new museum and the first lot of the San Casciano Archaeological Park.
Dettagli sugli Scavi del 2024
Between June and October 2024, expanded excavations allowed the exploration of a larger portion of the temenos, the sacred enclosure that enclosed the sanctuary, and brought to light structures from Etruscan and Roman times. Prominent among these is the perimeter wall that enclosed the sacred space, including the large thermal pool and buildings dedicated to worship.
The most fascinating discovery concerns the oldest basin, dated to the 3rd century B.C., when a structure made of travertine blocks bordered the sacred hot spring. This pool, rebuilt during the reigns of the emperors Tiberius and Claudius, testifies to the importance of the site even in imperial times. A legend may have been at the origin of the architectural renovation: the fall of lightning, considered a divine prodigy, supposedly called for a rededication of the area.
Outside the temple, archaeological layers rich in objects telling of cultic practices have been found:oil lamps, glass unguentaries, votive bronzes , and numerous votive offerings, including anatomical figurines in painted terracotta and gold leaf.
Statue, Monete e Iscrizioni
Excavations in 2024 unearthed an impressive number of votive offerings, including four new bronze statues. These artifacts depict votive limbs such as arms and legs, often accompanied by inscriptions, alongside ritual tools such as an elegant oil lamp and a small bronze bull. The statues evoke the agricultural and pastoral world of antiquity, which has already been represented in other artifacts from Bagno Grande.
Alongside the bronzes, coins form a central element of the votive deposit: with more than 10,000 specimens, the site offers an exceptional overview of monetary circulation between the Republican and Imperial ages. These are joined by precious materials such as a gold crown and ring, gems, amber, and Roman aureas, testifying to the high symbolic value of the offerings.
Inscriptions discovered in 2024 further enrich the context of the shrine. Engraved in both Etruscan and Latin, they mention local deities and offer details about religious practices. Prominent among the dedications is one to the Hot Spring, called Flere Havens in Etruscan, alongside oaths to Fortuna and the Emperor’s Genius.
One find of particular note is a statue of a naked male body, split in half by a clean cut.
Reperti Organici e Serpenti di Bronzo
The site has also returned a unique repertoire of organic materials, including thousands of egg fragments, many of them whole and preserved with the yolk visible. These elements, symbolic of fertility and rebirth, alternate with pine cones, intertwined branches, and upright wooden trunks, testifying to the importance of connections between nature and sacredness.
Among the most fascinating finds emerge bronze snakes, placed at the base of large logs within the stratigraphic deposit. Varying in size from small specimens to a snake of over 90 cm, the artifacts represent the agatodemon snake, a protective figure linked to spring and divinatory practices.
San Casciano: Un Modello di Conservazione
The excavation of Bagno Grande, managed under concession by the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni with the coordination of the University for Foreigners of Siena and the support of the Ministry of Culture, represents a virtuous example of interdisciplinary collaboration. The 2024 campaign involved more than 80 archaeology students from universities around the world, joined by an international team of more than 90 specialists.
Conservation and restoration activities, conducted in collaboration with the Central Institute for Restoration, ensure the protection of the structures and artifacts that have emerged. The project enjoys the support of private funders such as the Vaseppi Trust and Friends of Florence, as well as contributions from the Municipality of San Casciano and entities such as Group E and Iren. A key role is also played by the local Eutyche Avidiena Archaeological Association, which has organized archaeological walks and guided tours for more than 5,000 people, helping to spread knowledge about the site.
Il Futuro di Bagno Grande: Museo e Parco Archeologico
Future plans include the creation of the National Archaeological Museum of San Casciano dei Bagni, which will be housed in the Palazzo dell’Arcipretura and will house the artifacts found in Bagno Grande. A Thermal Archaeological Park will be built next to the museum, designed to further enhance this extraordinary site.
The new discoveries from the Bagno Grande will also be featured in the episode of Italy, Journey into Beauty, to be aired on Rai Storia in February 2025. Entitled Beyond the Bronze, the excavation of San Casciano dei Bagni, the documentary, signed by Brigida Gullo and Eugenio Farioli Vecchioli, will recount the charm of a place where the sacred meets natural beauty and the genius loci is manifested in the warm waters and their gifts.
San Casciano dei Bagni, already famous for its hot springs, thus confirms itself as a point of reference for archaeology, capable of offering a unique look at the spiritual traditions and daily life of antiquity. An extraordinary example of how the past can dialogue with the present, enriching our understanding of history and man’s relationship with the divine.
Le Terme Libere di San Casciano dei Bagni
Le terme libere di San Casciano dei Bagni, note come Bagno Grande, si trovano ai piedi del colle su cui sorge il borgo medievale di San Casciano dei Bagni. Qui, una vasca in pietra dalla caratteristica forma triangolare accoglie l’acqua termale che sgorga a una temperatura di circa 41°C. Accanto alla vasca principale, si trovano una vasca-lavatoio coperta e un grande bacino di raccolta dell’acqua, chiamato localmente “Caldagna”. Tuttavia, la balneazione in queste due strutture è vietata, rendendo la vasca triangolare l’unica accessibile per i bagni liberi. L’accesso alle terme libere è gratuito, ma privo di servizi organizzati. È quindi consigliabile portare con sé tutto il necessario per la permanenza, come asciugamani, acqua potabile e calzature adatte.
Le acque termali di San Casciano dei Bagni sono classificate come solfato-calciche-magnesiache e sgorgano a una temperatura di circa 41°C. I bagni in queste acque sono indicati per il trattamento di patologie osteoarticolari, come artriti e reumatismi, e per affezioni cutanee, grazie alle loro proprietà antisettiche e rigeneranti. Inoltre, l’inalazione dei vapori termali può apportare benefici alle vie respiratorie, alleviando condizioni come sinusiti e bronchiti.
È importante rispettare l’ambiente circostante e seguire le indicazioni locali per preservare la bellezza e l’integrità del sito.
Come Arrivare
In auto: Per raggiungere San Casciano dei Bagni in auto, percorrere l’Autostrada del Sole (A1). Per chi proviene da nord, l’uscita consigliata è Chiusi-Chianciano Terme; da lì, seguire le indicazioni per Sarteano e successivamente per San Casciano dei Bagni.
In treno: La stazione ferroviaria più vicina è quella di Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, situata a circa venti minuti da San Casciano dei Bagni.
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