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City of Bath (Great Britain)

City of Bath

Bath (English Bath, Latin Aquae Sulis, Aquae Calidae, Bathonia) — is one of the most beautiful cities of England, bishop’s seat and the main city of Somerset County on the Avon River. From Antiquity it is famous for its spas as a balneotherapeutic health resort (in fact, the name of the city itself points to a “bath”). Monuments of the Classicism epoch are added on the World Heritage list. Its population is 84 thousand people.

Hot springs that the city owes its existence to, were known as early as in 44 AD, even before Roman legions arrived here. There are four of such springs with an average temperature +46 C. They are used for treating gout, different rheumatic pains, paralysis; water is used for drinking as well as for baths and showers. Season lasts from November to April. The mean annual temperature is +10 C, thus it is higher than in most of the British cities. Summers are moderate, winters are rainy but mild.

Romans called local springs Aquae Salis (also Aquae Calidae); Saxons — Hat Bathun («hot bathing») or Acemaner Ceaster («city of the sick»). In an abbey, founded by the latter in 973, the first king of united England, Edgar, was crowned. Normans rebuilt and enlarged the abbey which remained as the seat of Bishop of Wells until 1206. Many centuries long strife between Bath and Wells, nevertheless, did not upset local economy, which hinged on trading in wool and fabrics.

In 1775, when traces of Roman baths were discovered (that later were turned into museums), it had already become a fashionable resort. Dandies from London frequented it lead by the “king of dandies” Richard Nash. Under the oversight of Ralf Allen and two Johns Woods (father and son) Bath was turned into a shopping window of Palladianism, which was becoming very popular; and the most prominent master of that trend Robert Adam designed an elegant bridge, Pulteney Bridge spanning the Avon.

Every summer throughout second half of XVIII and most part of XIX centuries, Bath served as an unofficial capital of British social life, because noble men and celebrities moved here. There is a vivid description of the daily life of Bath’s dwellers in novels by Smollett and plays by Sheridan. Two novels by Jane Austin are set here — “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion.”

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