The baths were not only a building for bathing, sports, and body care, but also a place for strolling and studying. The central part of the building was accessed through four doors on the northeast facade.
Along the central axis, you can observe in sequence the calidarium, the tepidarium, the frigidarium, and the natatio; on either side of this axis, other rooms are symmetrically arranged around the two gyms. The Baths of Caracalla are one of the rare cases where it is possible to partially reconstruct the original decorative scheme.
Written sources describe huge marble columns, flooring in colorful oriental marbles, glass paste mosaics and marbles on the walls, painted stuccos, and hundreds of statues and colossal groups, both in the wall niches of the rooms and in the most important halls and gardens. For water supply, a special branch of the Acqua Marcia aqueduct was created, the Aqua Antoniniana. Restored several times, the thermal facility ceased to function in 537 AD.
Open on Easter Monday.
Opening hours: 9:00 AM
• From October 1 to the last Saturday of October: last entry 5:30 PM with exit at 6:30 PM
Accessibility.
The monument on the surface, having no level differences, is easily accessible. The site has parking for disabled visitors’ cars equipped with a special permit.
The area is equipped with suitable restrooms.
