The Baths of Chassenon

200 million years ago, a meteorite fell in this region and formed a crater which was 20 km in diameter and created a curious stone that would be important for the later Roman city of Cassinomagus, which is now called Chassenon. This village, at the junction of roads linking with Poitiers and Saintes Périgueux with Lione, from the 2nd century had monumental thermals that attracted pilgrims and patients. The baths were twofold, ie two identical parts but were intended for different functions. The southern part, which has preserved the best, served to heal, while the northern part was more for sports or leisure.