New finds at San Casciano reveal early Etruscan medical centre

New discoveries from the 2025 excavation campaign at the San Casciano dei Bagni thermal sanctuary are reshaping the history of one of Italy’s most significant archaeological sites. Researchers announced that the earliest phase of activity at the Santuario del Bagno Grande dates back to the late 5th century BC, around two centuries earlier than previously believed.

The revised chronology suggests the presence of a large sacred complex already in the early Etruscan period, close to the main thermal spring or in its immediate surroundings. Among the finds supporting this interpretation is a bronze candelabrum fragment, along with other objects linked to early ritual activity.

The excavation has also clarified the final phase of the sanctuary’s use. Bronze objects such as a lightning bolt and a branch date to the 5th century AD, when the site was abandoned following the edicts of Emperor Theodosius, which led to the closure of pagan cult places across the Roman Empire. At that time, several altars were deliberately broken and reused to form a platform in front of the temple entrance, positioned between the main spring already investigated in recent years and a second spring to the south, likely the centre of another sacred area.

From an architectural perspective, archaeologists confirmed the existence of a large Etruscan enclosure, active at least from the 3rd century BC but probably older, with dimensions comparable to the later Roman imperial temple. In several areas, the structure shows evidence of abandonment rituals marked by the intentional scattering of architectural terracottas.

While previous campaigns drew international attention mainly for their exceptional bronze statues, the 2025 season has brought terracotta finds to the forefront. Outside the oldest enclosure, in the south-western corner of the site, archaeologists have begun excavating what appears to be a favissa, a sacred votive deposit. The material includes anatomical terracottas depicting feet, legs, hands, heads and swaddled infants, as well as fragments of statues and architectural decorations such as antefixes.

Particularly important is the late Roman phase of the sanctuary. In the 4th century AD, after a series of collapses of the imperial-era temple, Roman builders constructed a massive retaining wall, cutting deeply into earlier layers. During this work, parts of older Etruscan deposits were intercepted and ritually overturned outside the temple. These layers have yielded exceptional votive objects, including heads, complete infant figures and, most notably, a highly detailed terracotta model of human internal organs. According to the excavation team, it is currently the most accurate representation of human viscera ever found in the ancient world.

This discovery further supports the hypothesis that the Bagno Grande complex hosted a true Etruscan medical school, active at least from the 3rd century BC and possibly earlier, linked to healing practices associated with the thermal waters. The excavation of the favissa is still at an early stage, and archaeologists expect future campaigns to provide even more insight into the religious and medical functions of the sanctuary.

San Casciano dei Bagni is a small hill town in southern Tuscany, in the province of Siena, near the border with Lazio and Umbria. Over the past few years, the Bagno Grande excavations have become a reference point for the study of Etruscan and Roman religion, medicine and ritual continuity across more than eight centuries of use.

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