Who oversaw the construction of the complex?

Emperor Septimius Severus initiated the project, and his son Caracalla oversaw its completion and official opening. Subsequent emperors, including Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, added further decorative elements.

How was water heated throughout the facility?

The complex used an underground hypocaust system that burned wood and coal beneath the floors to heat water supplied by a dedicated aqueduct.

What remains beneath the foundations of the bath complex?

Excavations beneath the site uncovered an earlier underground domestic residence containing preserved frescoed ceilings and a shrine room dedicated to Roman and Egyptian gods.

Why did the bath complex cease operating?

The baths fell out of use after an invading army besieged the city during the Gothic War and severed the aqueduct supplying water to the site.

Where was stone from the complex taken after the site fell into ruin?

Salvaged marble, columns, and travertine were transported across Italy for reuse in building projects, including cathedral construction in Pisa and churches in Rome.

What stood on the grounds before the baths were constructed?

The location was previously occupied by private gardens and estates, including an estate that originally showcased the Farnese Bull sculpture.

Rome · Italie

thermes de Caracalla: ce qu’il y a autour, comment y aller et quand venir · 2026

Residents living near the bath grounds trade immediate subway links for quiet green avenues and open archaeological space.

Baths of Caracalla · CC BY-SA 4.0

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À propos du lieu

Imperial bath architecture remains visible across the southern grounds of the city.

Imperial builders erected the monumental public bathing complex over the demolished private gardens of Gaius Asinius Pollio. Subterranean workers fed extensive hypocaust furnaces with coal and timber to heat water channelled through dedicated aqueducts. The facility provided bathing and social gathering without entrance fees, while an older excavated residence beneath the foundations retained decorative wall frescoes and a lararium.

During the Gothic War, Ostrogoth forces under King Vitiges severed the municipal aqueducts, cutting off the water supply and ending public bath operations. The surrounding district emptied, leaving the structures to shelter pilgrim burials associated with the nearby xenodochium. A major earthquake subsequently collapsed surviving masonry, transforming the complex into an open stone quarry for urban basilicas and papal palaces.

Long-term residents encounter an archaeological perimeter stripped of its classical marble veneer, as papal licenses permitted builders to extract travertine and decorative columns for regional basilicas. Medieval vineyards later covered the sunken brick enclosures before modern excavation opened the site. Massive surviving vault arches now define the surrounding streetscape without transit crowds.

Associations

Hypocaust heatingSubterranean furnaces burned coal and wood to supply heated water.
Farnese BullThe massive sculpture stood on the private garden estate before bath construction.
Quarrying damageCenturies of licensed stone removal stripped the marble revetment and columns.
Underground domusExcavations revealed an older residential house with wall frescoes beneath the baths.

Faits

The bath complex operated as a free public facility powered by subterranean furnaces and dedicated aqueducts.
Ostrogoth forces cut the municipal aqueducts during the Gothic War, causing the baths to fall into permanent disuse.
Builders salvaged stone, travertine, and marble columns from the ruins to construct regional cathedrals and basilicas.
An excavated domestic residence preserved beneath the foundations features frescoed ceilings and an altar for Roman and Egyptian deities.

Mis à jour le 10 septembre 2026Source : Wikipedia

thermes de Caracalla: ce qu’il y a autour, comment y aller et quand venir · 2026

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Imperial bath architecture remains visible across the southern grounds of the city.

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