Banys de la Reina: A Roman palace with marble, mosaics and a fish farm

Banys de la Reina is an archaeological site located next to the salt pans of Calp in the Marina Alta region of País Valencià. It consisted of a Roman palace, rather than a simple villa or circular domus, featuring a hallway, a courtyard, and eight rooms. Its abundance in marbles and mosaics reveals that it belonged to a person with high purchasing power. The site includes artificial pools excavated into the rock for a fish farm and fish-sale room, as well as a cistern and more than four storage pits.

The structures were discovered in 1610 by Gaspar Escolano and excavated in 1792 by Antoni Josep Cavanilles, with the event published in the Gazeta de Madrid. Following excavations in 1965 by Manuel Pellicer Català and further work between 1993 and 1999, the layout of the complex was finalized as a vicus of three houses for wine production, fishing, garum production, salting, and stone extraction. Tombs have also been found nearby.

The site is situated between the coast and the salt pans of Calp, in the strip of land of the Cala d'Ifac. While the habitat was inhabited from at least the 2nd to the 7th century, there is evidence of habitation in the area from the present day. Due to urban expansion between the late fifties and today, much of the site is now within the urban fabric. The rock-carved fish farm, measuring 165 m², allowed seawater to enter through four rock-cut channels to keep fish alive and provide fresh fish to the population.

The remains are currently being protected by a Bé d'Interés Cultural title. A local agreement is planned between the Diputació d'Alacant and Calp to consolidate the archaeological remains with the collaboration of the MARQ. The site includes domestic, residential, funerary, and productive installations spread between the coast and the local town.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons