Baths of Caracalla
( terme di caracalla )
The Baths of Caracalla are one of the biggest
and best preserved bath complexes of ancient times.
They
were opened in the south part of the city,
probably in 216AD, under the reign of the son of
Septimius Severus, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Bassianus, known as Caracalla.
The
remains, which still stand up to a remarkable height
of over thirty meters in some places, give us but an
idea of the grandiose nature of the baths,
second in grandeur only to the Baths of
Diocletian, which were built almost a century
later. However, the size of the building and the
monumental nature of its halls, of which two
storey are preserved in elevation and two levels
below ground, allow us to imagine their splendor.
The baths remained in use for only three
centuries; they were finally abandoned after 537AD
after the siege of Rome when Witigis,
king of the Goths, sabotaged the
aqueducts in order to force the city into
submission. Several works of art were found during
the excavations, including the Farnese Bull,
statues of Hercules and the granite baths
moved to Piazza Farnese by the Rainaldi
family.
Information and Addresses
Address Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 52
Visiting Hours Every day from 9.00 am until an
hour before sunset; Monday until 2,00 pm (ticket
office closes an hour earlier)
Price € 6,00; concessions € 3,00
For
Tours information
– private guided tours – special entrances, no
waiting in line - VIP services
www.tourinrome.com
www.vaticanmuseuminformation.com
www.vaticanmuseumticket.com
