Bergantino Nymphaeum (Diana's Baths) - Castel Gandolfo

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Submitted by traduttore4 on Sun, 24/10/2010 - 11:43

Also known as Diana’s Baths, the Bergantino Nymphauem in Castel Gandolfo is half way between the Doric Nymphaeum and the Albano Effluent, on the western shore of the lake facing mons Albanus. Incorporated within Domitian’s majestic imperial villa during the 1st C. A.D., the Bergantino was only rediscovered half way through the 19th C. during clandestine excavations.

The Nymphauem is rather irregular in shape seeing as it was originally a “pozzolana quarry”. It has many different rooms: the largest being the central hall, which has a circular pool dug out of the ground with a diameter of around 17 meters, which still shows traces of its mosaic decorations. On the left and to the rear of this room there are spaces that seem to fit in with the rounded tendency which must have been given by the “excavation cut” required to extract the pozzolana mineral.

Many clues would seem to indicate that, at some point, this monument must have been used as a spa, by Domitian first and later by Pope Alexander VII Chigi, as well as being used to shelter the boats used in the emperor’s naumachias or as a way for the Pope to reach the waters of the lake.

The corruption of the word “Brigantino” (Brig) through the local dialect must have given rise to the term Bergantino. Most of the finds brought to the light in the Nymphaeum during the excavations promoted by cardinal Giustiniani, are preserved and exhibited in the antiquarium of the villa Barberini, while others have gone missing.

Dove si trova

Indirizzo:

Via dei Pescatori, 00040 Castel Gandolfo RM

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