Terme Abano Montegrotto 2025: The Euganean Hills Thermal Tradition

How the Romans heated their floors with Euganean thermal water — and why the Euganean thermal tradition is 2,000 years old

The Roman exploitation of the Euganean Hills thermal resource (the Roman settlements at Fons Aponi — the Latin name for the Abano thermal source, meaning "source of Apollo," connecting the water to the god of healing and music) is documented in Roman literary sources and confirmed by the extensive Roman archaeological remains throughout the Euganean area. The specific Roman application: the Euganean thermal water, emerging at 87°C, was used not only for bathing (the standard Roman thermal use) but specifically for hypocaust heating — the underground floor-heating system that required a constant hot water supply for the most elaborate Roman villa heating installations. The Villa dei Nasi (the Roman villa whose remains are partially excavated beneath the modern Abano Terme — the archaeological layers are visible in the foundations of some older buildings in the town center): the most documented Roman thermal facility in the Euganean area. The transition through the medieval period: the thermal tradition survived the Roman period primarily through the Benedictine monasteries (the Abbey of Praglia, 10km from Abano, maintained the thermal water knowledge through the medieval period and operated the first post-Roman thermal baths in the area from the 12th century) before the commercial thermal industry developed in the 18th century.