Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae, sixteen hundred persons could bathe here at the same time. There were rooms for cold, hot and warm baths, splendid ceilings, porticoes, pillared halls, gymnasiums, where the rarest marbles, the most colossal columns, and the finest statues were admired by the people; even the baths were of basalt, granite, alabaster. The leisure needs of the population have never been catered for with such magnificence as in the Roman baths; even in ruin their splendor is still apparent.
HistoryThe baths were begun by Septimus Severus in A.D. 206 and completed by Caracalla in 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The bath complex covered approximately 13 hectares (33 ac). The bath building was 228 meters (750 ft) long, 116 meters (380 ft) wide and 38.5 meters (125 ft) estimated height, and could hold an estimated 1,600 bathers. The “baths” were the second to have a public library within the complex. The libraries were located in exedrae on the east and west sides of the bath complex. The entire north wall of the complex was devoted to shops. The reservoirs on the south wall of the complex were fed with water from the Marcian Aqueduct.The baths consisted of a central 55.7 by 24 meter (183x79 ft) frigidarium (cold room) under three 32.9 meter (108 ft) high groin vaults, a double pool tepidarium (medium), and a 35 meter (115 ft) diameter caldarium (hot room), as well as two palaestras (gyms where wrestling and boxing was practiced). The north end of the bath building contained a natatio or swimming pool. The natatio was roofless with bronze mirrors mounted overhead to direct sunlight into the pool area. The entire bath building was on a 6 meter (20 ft) high raised platform to allow for storage and furnaces under the building.The building was heated by a hypocaust, a system of burning coal underneath the ground to heat water provided by a dedicated aqueduct. It was in use up to the 19th century.In the early 20th century, the design of the baths was used as the inspiration for several modern structures, including Pennsylvania Station in New York City and National Assembly Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
LocationAddress:Via delle Terme di Caracalla 52, I-00186 Rome, Italy.Transit: Metro:Circo Massimo (line B) Bus: 11, 27, 90, 90b, 94, 118, 673. Tram: 13, 30, 30b.
What's to seeThe baths are open to the public on payment of a small charge, which does not apply to students or pensioners. Access is limited to certain areas to avoid damage to the mosaic floors, although such damage is already clearly visible. Also, a total of 22 well-preserved columns looted from the ruins are found in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, taken there in the 12th century.Present day cultural usesThe ruins stand as the backdrop for the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in the summer opera season. It has also become a venue for modern cultural events, such as the gymnastics competition during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the concert of the Three Tenors at the conclusion of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Useful informationOpen: Monday to Sunday 9:00am to 7:00pmClosed: January 1 and 6, December 25 and 26.Accessiblity: Full facilities for persons with disabilities http://www.filcoo.com/