NEWS

Brief History of European Spas.

Spas originated from the earliest times when people discovered that some water springs had not only mineral deposits but also differing temperatures which embodied certain healing and wellbeing characteristics. The Egyptians used thermal baths and both the Greeks and Romans also enjoyed these benefits, and with the expansion of the Roman Empire, these advantages spread to many other parts of Europe. Since water treatments has been one of the cures upon which early medicine was based it has become a major contributor to the development of the spa culture as we know it today. Although many countries of Europe have spa facilities the ones of most importance are those that either benefit from the earth's hot thermal springs - the most important of which are in Italy and the Central and Eastern European areas, or else the water contains certain mineral deposits that have curative effects

Bathing in Greek and Roman times

Some of the earliest descriptions of western bathing practices came from Greece. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed the foundation for modern spa procedures. These Aegean people utilized small bathtubs, wash basins, and foot baths for personal cleanliness. The earliest such findings are the baths in the palace complex at Knossos, Crete, and the luxurious alabaster bathtubs excavated in Akrotiri, Santorini; both date from the mid-2nd millennium BC. They established public baths and showers within their gymnasium complexes for relaxation and personal hygiene. Greek mythology specified that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by the gods to cure disease. Around these sacred pools, Greeks established bathing facilities for those desiring healing. Supplicants left offerings to the gods for healing at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans developed a primitive vapor bath. At Serangeum, an early Greek balneum (bathhouse, loosely translated), bathing chambers were cut into the hillside from which the hot springs issued. A series of niches cut into the rock above the chambers held bathers' clothing. One of the bathing chambers had a decorative mosaic floor depicting a driver and chariot pulled by four horses, a woman followed by two dogs, and a dolphin below. Thus, the early Greeks used the natural features, but expanded them and added their own amenities, such as decorations and shelves. During later Greek civilization, bathhouses were often built in conjunction with athletic fields.[7]