38th International Seminar on Architectural History | Baths, Spas and Health Resorts between the 15th and the 18th Centuries.

The practice of bathing at different temperatures dates back to the use of natural thermal springs, becoming widespread in Roman times thanks to the development of efficient aqueducts and water-heating systems. In early modern Europe, the ruins of ancient thermal baths served as a testament to a lost culture of the body, while their architecture and function became subjects of study. Innovations in construction and hydraulics, underpinned by advances in medicine, led to the creation of new spaces for specific practices and social rituals of bathing – initially reserved for the few but later extended to the many.

The seminar will explore the significance of the ruins of the thermal baths in the training and practice of architects between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Although the list of possible topics is broad and interdisciplinary, the seminar aims to preserve the focus on architecture and the built environment. Discoveries that have emerged through archival research and the direct examination of buildings are especially encouraged.

Those interested in participating with a contribution (20 minute limit) should send an outline (no more than 350 words) and brief CV (no more than 150 words) to cfpcisapalladio.org by 15 November 2026.

Possible topics, within the specified time frame of 1400-1800:
- The study of antique thermal baths
- The practice of bathing
- Towards a history of baths built in the early modern period
- Learning from the architecture of ancient baths

Info: www.palladiomuseum.org/courses/terme
e-mail: coursescisapalladio.org
phone: +39 0444 323014