TERM OF CARACALLA (THERMAL BATHS OF CARACALLA)
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One of the great thermal establishments of the imperial period in Rome.
Among the many large thermal baths of the Imperial period, the Caracalla baths are the ones that have come down to us in the best condition. Entirely preserved in its original design, albeit stripped of its marble and decorations, the establishment follows the scheme laid down a century earlier by Apollodorus of Damascus for Trajan's baths on Colle Oppio: axial plan, symmetry and functionalism are the watchwords here! With a surface area of 120,000 m², the Baths of Caracalla could accommodate 1,500 people simultaneously.
There was a gymnasium, library, auditorium and extensive gardens. The portico-shaped enclosure has disappeared, and today you enter through what was once the frigidarium, a large cold-water pool. The water supply needed to meet the high demand for these thermal baths was contained in cisterns built into the surrounding walls - in the basement, a network of wide corridors connected to the upper floor by trapdoors made the incessant work of the servants almost invisible to users. Built during the reign of Caracalla, from 212 to 217, the use of this extraordinary complex was interrupted in 537 when the Goths cut the aqueducts, thus depriving the thermal baths of water.
The Opera of Rome takes up summer residence in the Baths of Caracalla. A unique setting for a top-flight program, which will become a festival in 2023: the "Caracalla Festival".
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The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Le lieu dégage un sentiment de quiétude agréable, même en plein mois d'août, un peu excentré du centre ville.