Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla are the monumental remains of a Roman thermal complex on the south-eastern edge of central Rome, opened in 216 AD under Emperor Caracalla. Covering about 11 hectares, they were among the largest bathing facilities in the Roman Empire and could host up to 1,600 bathers at once. The main block contained caldarium, tepidarium and frigidarium plus two palaestrae, libraries and an open-air swimming pool. The baths remained in use until the 6th century, when the Ostrogoths cut the supplying Aqua Antoniniana aqueduct. Today visitors walk among brick walls many metres high with remnants of mosaic floors and marble plinths. In summer the frigidarium serves as an open-air stage for the Rome Opera, an unusual pairing of ancient ruin and live performance.