Terme di Como Romana (Roman Baths of Como), Como

ϳԹ

Terme di Como Romana (Roman Baths of Como), Como

Terme di Como Romana (Roman Baths of Como), Como

Beneath the polished surface of modern Como lies a surprise Pliny the Younger would never have imagined: his 1st-century gift to the city, a set of Roman baths, now lodged under an underground car park. The story began in the 1970s, when construction workers broke into more than just rock and soil—they stumbled onto eight ancient rooms spread across 1,500 square meters. Heated chambers, pools, and lounging spaces emerged from the dirt, echoing a time when bathing was as much about politics and gossip as it was about hygiene.

The plot thickened in the early 2000s, when archaeologists returned to the site and unearthed ten more rooms from the 2nd century AD. Arranged around a central courtyard, their exact purpose remains a mystery, though the discovery confirmed Como’s Roman incarnation—Novum Comum—was thriving, ambitious, and more cosmopolitan than its lakeside calm suggests today.

Now, instead of steam and chatter, visitors find quiet panels and artifacts beneath the Social Theater’s modern parking structure. Displays explain the ingenious hypocaust heating system and the water circulation that once powered daily rituals of relaxation. Though only fragments survive, there’s a peculiar magic to standing here—caught between exhaust fumes above and Roman engineering below—seeing how one city layer rests on another.

For anyone curious about Como’s deeper story, the baths provide a compact but powerful reminder: this elegant town wasn’t always about silk, villas, and alpine views. Two thousand years ago, it was about hot water, stone walls, and the simple Roman belief that civilization thrived where people gathered, soaked, and talked.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Como. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "ϳԹ: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The ϳԹ App

Terme di Como Romana (Roman Baths of Como) on Map

Sight Name: Terme di Como Romana (Roman Baths of Como)
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Como, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Como

Create Your Own Walk in Como

Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Como Lakeshore Walking Tour

Como Lakeshore Walking Tour

English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.

The alpine lake is...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Como Introduction Walking Tour

Como Introduction Walking Tour

The Roman writer Pliny the Younger once wrote to his friend, “What is the news from Como, mine and your delight?” Como is a place of palaces, churches, gardens, temples, museums, and parks. Its nearness to the spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a traveler’s delight from the time of Pliny the Younger to the present day.

Pliny wasn’t its first fan,...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles