A spa, as we know it today, is a treatment center through various alternative medicines, and has grown to include relaxation, relaxation, and pampering. But what makes for interesting reading is the origin of this culture and the genesis of the word spa. So when did the concept of a spa come about: relaxing and receiving treatment for ailments through water? Where did you get your current name from? There are countless answers to these questions, but all entwined in the same theory.

spa genesis

The popular belief tells that the origin of the spa dates back to Roman times, when the soldiers of their legions, fatigued by wars, dedicated themselves to rejuvenation, relaxation and treatment of painful wounds through the water. Hot natural spring water was considered the best cure for wounds and tired muscles. Legionnaires therefore began building baths around naturally found hot springs or hot water wells. These baths were popularly known as ‘aquae’, while the treatments that were carried out in these aquae were called ‘Sanus Per Aquam’ -of which SPA is considered an acronym- which means health by or through water. Others believe that spa is an ellipsis of the Latin phrase ‘Sanitas Per Aquas’, which means the same thing. The Belgian city of Spa, which rose to prominence in the 14th century in this context, was thus named after it, since a hot spring with healing and thermal properties was discovered there.

Another accepted belief is that the word spa is derived from the Walloon word (the dialect of the Wallonian people in southern Belgium) espa, meaning fountain. Alternatively, the origin of the word can also be attributed to the Latin word ‘spagere’, which means to scatter, sprinkle or moisten.

history of the spa

Social bathing was religiously adhered to as a culture in the ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan, Greek, and Roman civilizations. Among the first to use a variety of baths, the Greeks pioneered the concept of laconica (hot tubs and hot air baths). The Romans adopted it and gradually modified it to balneum and then thermae (Greek for heat). Although the first baths date back to the year 25 a. C., the balneum existed in Roman society almost 200 years before the arrival of the baths. Each subsequent emperor to the Roman throne surpassed his predecessor in building more spacious and luxurious baths. Some baths were large enough to hold as many as 6,000 bathers at a time.

Growth of spa culture

Subsequent years saw the baths become wholesome entertainment complexes where bathers could enjoy sports, entertainment and restaurants, in addition to the various baths available. A characteristic bath made up of visits to different chambers for a complete relaxation routine. The bathing ritual began with exercises in the arena, followed by an hour-long session in three increasingly warm rooms that began with a tepidarium, where the bather’s body was anointed with oils and other herbal extracts. Private baths called caldariums that offered a choice of hot or cold water would be next in line. The bather then moved to the laconicum, the hottest chamber in the baths, where a vigorous massage and scraping of dead skin was performed with the help of an object called a strigil. The bath would end with a dip in a pool of fresh water known as a frigidarium. After this ritual, the bather could relax in the other spaces of the baths, enjoying a sumptuous meal, or retiring to the library. Since the baths were located in close proximity to thermal or natural mineral springs, the Renaissance saw cities abundant in natural springs graduating into spa destinations. Some examples are Spa, Belgium; Paeffers, Switzerland; Baden-Baden Germany; and Bath, England. These natural waters were often considered to have medicinal properties and curative value.

The fall and rediscovery of the spa

The fall of the Roman Empire resulted in a decline in the popularity of the thrmae concept throughout the world. All existing spas fell prey to the cyclical order of being discovered, forgotten, and then rediscovered. But though spas and hot water treatments have gone out of fashion since man first stumbled upon the concept, water as a healing liquid has never lost its luster. With innovations in medical science, allopathy took over almost every other branch of medicine and wellness in the early 20th century. Public dispensaries and hospitals began to be seen as an alternative to natural healing processes. This put existing spas out of business as they were transformed into holiday resorts, losing their original purpose and catering only to the wealthy. Other spas responded by concentrating on the beauty business by offering an amalgamation of fitness and beauty in glorified salons called day spas.

But, thanks to an indulgent, health-conscious population that sees relaxation more as a way of life than a leisure activity, spa culture has come back to life in most parts of the world. Modern spas, although they have undergone a paradigm shift in their forms of treatment, still retain water therapy as their core and follow a routine of cleaning, heating, treating and resting, similar to their older counterparts.

today’s spa

Call it hot springs or spa, the concept of healing through water is also known by many other terms such as taking the waters, spa therapy, balenotherapy or hydrotherapy. The meaning of spa has constantly evolved over the centuries to accommodate other types of treatments. Now, spa treatments can range from wet and dry treatments to wellness therapies and beauty treatments. Spa treatments include thalassotherapy, meditation, yoga, Ayurvedic floatation therapy, watsu, wassertanzen, water dance, liquid sound, Swedish massage, Japanese shiatsu, Thai massage, European facials, acupuncture, Dead Sea salt scrubs, Moorish mud wraps, aromatherapy, reflexology. , microdermabrasion, endermology, reiki, aura imaging, rasul, hypnotherapy, Tai Chi, sleep therapy and much more. Mechanical devices such as Jacuzzis, hydrotherapy tubs, Swiss showers, Scottish hoses and Vichy showers have been developed to assist these therapies efficiently and have collectively made the spa experience better. Today’s spa has successfully stuck to its core traditions while innovating, interpreting and expressing them in its own way.