Aquis Querquennis

Aquis Querquennis is a Roman military settlement on the banks of the Lima River in the municipality of Bande, combining barracks, bathhouses, and administrative structures. The complex covers a wide area, part of which now lies beneath the As Conchas reservoir.

Roman troops built the settlement in the first century under Emperor Vespasian to secure the Via Nova. It remained active for about 50 years before being abandoned.

The name comes from the Querquerni, a Celtic people who lived here before Roman soldiers and traders arrived. Today you can see the contrast between the strict military layout and the areas where craftspeople and families made their homes.

The visitor center opens between spring and autumn and offers tours around the site. Water levels in the reservoir change throughout the year, so some areas may be flooded at certain times.

The baths here used hot springs that the Querquerni knew long before the Romans arrived. Finding such natural thermal water inside a military camp is rare.