Page 24 - All About History - Issue 72-18

ROMAN EMPIRE

Places to Explore

ROMEINRUINS

DiscoverancientRomanremnantsattheheartoftheEternalCity itself!

1 CATACOMBS OF DOMITILLA 5

VIA DELLE SETTE CHIESE

ThoseinsearchofanauthenticRomanexperience –aswell 4
as those who enjoy the possibility of getting lost in miles 3
oftunnels–willcertainlygetalotoutoftheirvisittothis
impressive series of interconnected underground crypts.
These catacombs, the final resting place of many Romans,
are spread across the city and archaeologists continue to
excavate lost tombs. 2
They offer an insight into the practical way the Romans
dealt with the dead, burying their loved ones underground
ontheoutskirtsofthecityratherthanallowingpotentially
disease-ridden corpses to rot where they would pose a risk
to the general population.
The catacombs were not, as was once thought,
clandestine meeting places or elaborate escape
tunnels;theircomplexityandscalesimplystems 1
from the amount of Romans who were buried there.
By far the most impressive is the Catacombs of San
Domitilla. Located near the famous Roman road, the
Apian Way, they are one of the longest and the oldest
catacombs – stretching 14.9 kilometres and containing 2 BATHS OF CARACALLA
about15,000graves.Sittingundergroundbutslightly VIALE DELLE TEREME DI CARACALLA
above the catacombs is also a well preserved basilica.
Although they are The scale of the

San Domitilla opens 9am-midday and 2pm-5pm, and is in ruins today, the baths remains
breathtaking
closed all day Tuesday. Standard admission costs €8. Find magnificent Baths
out more at domitilla.info. of Caracalla were
once the second
Visitors admire o
the restored la
argest public baths
frescoes
n Rome. Built in the
in
early years of the
e
3
3rd century CE, the
c
construction workers
were prisoners of
w
war captured during
w
Septimus Severus’s
S
Scottish campaign,
S
and the scale of the
a
s
site is testament to
t heir toil.
The baths were an
n
engineering marvel and offered a choice of tepid,
e
cold or warm water as well as an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The bathhouse was
c
served by a purpose-built aqueduct – the Aqua Antoniniana.
s
Nowadays the baths are a hugely popular tourist attraction and cultural celebrations
and concerts are regularly held among the ruins, including the summer operatic
a
programme of the illustrious Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
p
The Baths of Caracalla are open 9am to 6.30pm Tuesday to Sunday, and 9am to 2pm on
T
Monday. Adult admission is 6€.
M
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