Built between 212 and 217 AD by Emperor Lucio Settimo Bassano, also known as Caracalla, the Thermal Baths of Caracalla are one of the most famous thermal plants of Ancient Rome. It’s located near Circo Massimo and up until the construction of the thermal baths of Diocleziano in the 4th century, they were the biggest ones that Rome ever had!
The Caracalla Thermal Baths were built as a gathering place for Romans where they could relax by taking a bath, sitting around and talking with others, taking care of their physical health and doing some sports and even studying. They could house up to 1600 people at the same time. No wonder they were one of the most popular places that ancient Romans would go to in their free time!
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The Architectural beauty
Apart from being a beautiful place to relax in, Thermae of Caracalla was also a pleasing spot to the eye. Their richness in decorations was probably a cause of astonishment for people. The baths were, in fact, fully made of prestigious marble, and adorned with many stuccoes and frescoes. Its floors also were decorated with amazing mosaics, some of which managed to stay intact to this day.
According to written testimonies, the Thermae of Caracalla was also filled with majestic columns and statues, some of which have currently been moved to other locations in Rome, but more on this later.
What the thermal baths looked like
The whole complex of the Thermal Baths was surrounded by a big fence, filled with many different stores and shops like libraries and rooms where you could study and read. Inside the fence, you could find an enormous garden with a big tank of water in the middle that contained circa 80.000 liters of water that would be used to power the whole place.
As mentioned before, the Thermae Caracalla contained many different restorative rooms. Let’s explore these:
- The locker room: rooms where they could change and get ready for sports with very wide lockers;
- The gyms: the perfect place to do some sports;
- The saunas and massage rooms; used to relax and expel toxins;
- The open air swimming pools: where they could relax and swim, only opened during the Summer;
All of this would culminate in the actual Thermal Baths, divided into three parts:
- The Caldarium: hot water baths;
- The Tepidarium: warm water baths;
- The Frigidarium: cold water baths;
The Caracalla Baths today
The Thermal Baths of Caracalla were restored several times throughout history but they, unfortunately, ceased to be used in 537 AD. Nowadays they are surrounded by two gyms and are full of remains that truly represent how majestic they were. Visiting the Thermal Baths of Caracalla will definitely take you back in time and make you feel like a local ancient Roman!
