The late painter, illustrator and author Ferry Ahrlé developed the congenial character Termus Romanus for the Roman Thermal Spas of Europe – and sent his protagonist to a journey through Europe’s countries and ages.

He’s not only familiar but almost family with many Roman emperors, but he also meets Empress „Sissi“, and he knows all the tricks about thermal waters, wellness and medical spas: Ferry Arhlé’s character Termus Romanus represents world’s first medical spa and wellness tourist. Ahrlé sent his young Roman hero to eight Thermal Baths in Europe. There he learns everything about the local amenities and meets historical VIPs who visited the place. Ferry Ahrlé combined painting and little stories to introduce the destination in a entertaining way – and always with a twinkle in his eye.

Background of this unique project is a call of the European Spas Association (ESPA). Last year, ESPA started the EU-co-funded Roman Thermal Spas of Europe project in which European thermal spas of Roman origin market their Roman heritage and their natural remedies to spa and wellness tourists worldwide. To set this unique combination of wellness and culture in scene, ESPA looked out for an artist  - and found Ferry Ahrlé having the right brush stroke and the perfect fit ideas. “Termus Romanus became our friend immediately“, reports Joachim Lieber, secretary general of ESPA and coordinator of the project. “Ferry Ahrlé succeeds in uniting each destination's special feature with our overall subject with his very special and entertaining signature“.

At ITB 2015, Ahrlé introduced the complete series and signed an exclusive print edition of the pictures. The original pictures have been on a travelling exhibition in the eight original destinations of the Roman Thermal Spa project: Aidipsos (Greece), Badenweiler (Germany), Baile Herculane (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Chaves (Portugal), Chianciano Terme (Italy), Dax (France), and Hisarya (Bulgaria).

More on Ferry Ahrlé on his website