The Engineering Approach to the Study of Roman Thermal Buildings: The Case Study of the Rotonda Roman Baths at Catania

Roman architecture is one of the most advanced forms of historical architectures because of the several innovations that have contributed to the progress of the art of construction. The ability of the Romans consisted in creating monumental architectures by experimenting with innovative materials and construction techniques, and combining traditional building elements in an effective way, thus achieving formal and technological solutions of great relevance. Therefore, research activities on Roman buildings are essential for the reconstruction of their historical development, and for their protection, conservation and promotion, with the aim to preserve the cultural memory of the ancient cities. In this framework, this paper reports the preliminary results of an ongoing research activity on the Roman thermal complex “Terme della Rotonda” in the city of Catania. This activity aims at achieving a three-dimensional digital model of the thermal complex and characterizing it at architectural and construction level to provide information on the mutual connections between the architectural solutions and the adopted materials and construction techniques. The study here reported is part of the interdisciplinary research project SAMOTHRACE that aims at bridging the knowledge gap on the dating and diachronic development of the thermal complex.