Joint Use of Geomatic and Geophysical Methods for the Survey and Documentation of the Vespasian’s Thermal Baths (Cittaducale, Rieti, Italy)

The paper is related to the in-depth study of the route and characterization of a stretch of the ancient Via Salaria, an ancient Roman consular road, which connected Rome with Porto d’Ascoli on the Adriatic Sea. Researches were focused in the archaeological area of the Baths of Vespasian, also called Baths of Cotilia, in Cittaducale near Rieti in central Italy. The study of the sources, the analysis of the wall palimpsests and the interpretation of the results carried out return a much more articulated overall picture than what is currently visible, entirely resembling a territorial compartment characterized by a scattered settlement. A 3D laser scanner and digital photogrammetric survey of the structures was carried out, supplemented with a campaign of geophysical surveys (GPR). The results show interesting anomalies related to the roadway and adjacent structures, taking into account the transformations that the whole system must have undergone in subsequent epochs.