Fast Friday Review: AcquaMadre Hammam - Rome
When in Rome, right?
The ancient Romans really loved their baths. By the early 5th century there were an estimated 850+ public bathhouses in Rome. Often funded by politicians trying to sway votes their way, baths acted as the social gathering houses of the day. They were a place to get clean, get a massage, and swap gossip.
The legacy of the Roman bath lives on at AcquaMadre Hammam - located at Via di S.Ambrogio, 17 near the Piazza Mattei in the Sant’Angelo neighborhood. I visited with a friend a few years ago on New Year’s Eve as a sort of “last day of the year” cleansing. (The earliest Romans celebrated their New Year in March, but hey…I think they’d understand).
The entrance is tucked away but easy to find. We had pre-booked a bath and scrub package online and the helpful front desk attendants got us checked in and showed us where we could change. Note that even though AcquaMadre bills itself as a hammam, it is NOT clothing optional like a Turkish hammam. Bathing suites are required unless you are a woman visiting on women-only day (Wednesdays and Friday). Other days of the week are mixed gender and you may share the large bathing pools with other couples/parties.
After changing we went downstairs to the actual bath area. Its compact, but beautifully designed, with bricks and tile that make you feel like you’ve stepped back to an ancient Roman building. If you’ve done a tour of the Colosseum that included the underground arena you’ll know exactly what I mean. There are multiple bathing pools of different temperatures - you start with the warm bath (tepidarium), then move to the hot steam bath (calidarium).
After you’ve steamed a while and your pores are nice and open, an attendant will bring you to a table and scrub you down with your choice of exfoliant and hammam glove (which you get to take home to use). There are showers to rinse off and then you finish in the cool plunge bath (frigidarium). As in a Turkish hammam, there are large heated lounging areas to lounge and let your muscles relax. We didn’t have time to add a massage, but there were many options, including pre-natal and deep tissue. Facials and other treatments could be added too.
Unfortunately, for real hammam aficionados, I must say it doesn’t quite compare to the hammams in Turkey - the scrub time was shorter and not as thorough, and having to wear a bathing suit lessened the experience. The website mentioned a relaxation area and tea afterwards like you’d find in Turkey, but we weren’t offered either. But all that said I still really enjoyed the experience and recommend it for anyone in Rome who needs a few hours of relaxation. Its really great when you’ve been doing back-to-back walking tours for days and your muscles need a break! Its also a neat way to feel connected to the ancient Romans a bit.
Practical Information: Website and online booking system are in English and Italian. Front desk attendants spoke good English, while bath/scrub attendants spoke mostly Italian (there is signage and safely information posted in multiple languages around the spa). You can get by in the spa with basic Italian and lots of pointing and gestures! The basic hammam and scrub is about €60 + the cost of your glove and spa slippers. Massages and other services are comparable to an average American day spa.
Hours and Address: Tuesday 14:00-21:00, Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00-21:00 (last entrance at 19:00). Women only on Wednesday and Friday. Via di S.Ambrogio, 17. Closest bus stop is Via Torre Argentina.
Make a Day of It
As you enter the spa look in the piazza for the Fontana delle Tartarughe. This late Renaissance bronze fountain was built in the 1580s (though the namesake turtles were added nearly 100 years later).
If you take the bus and get off at Via Torre Argentina, look down below street level to the Roman ruins. You’re looking at one of Rome’s most famous - and forgotten — sites. This is where historians believe Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in 44 B.C. And today its a sanctuary for stray cats - because the world is weird like that!
The area around the Piazza Mattei is the center of the old Jewish Quarter of Rome and makes for a fascinating self-guided walking tour. Rome has had a Jewish community for over 2,200 years, making it the oldest in Europe! Learn more about the history and sites here. If they’re in season, you must find a place serving carciofi alla giudea - Jewish artichokes — or try a kosher take on traditional Italian food at one of the many delis and restaurants in the neighborhood. A great list of recommendations from Devour Rome can be found here.
