Terme romane di Fordongianus, Fordongianus

The Roman baths of Fordongianus are an important archaeological site in Sardinia, located on the left bank of the Tirso River in the upper Oristanese region. There are still springs there from which gush forth waters that reach a temperature of 54° when they pass through the volcanic bank below.

The baths are located in the immediate vicinity of the town of Fordongianus, an ancient urban center already mentioned by the geographer Claudius Ptolemy in his Geographia under the name Aquae Ypsitanae and, later, in the Antonini itinerarium as Forum Traiani, a name assigned to it during the rule of Emperor Trajan, when in addition to its name it also changed its legal status from colony to city with municipal status.

The bath complex consists of two establishments: an original facility centered on the natatio, which exploited hot water sources, and another artificially heated one consisting of several rooms. The lack of excavation data prevents an easy dating of their construction, but based on the architectural techniques adopted it is believed that they were built in the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, respectively.