Diocletian's Baths
Jul 15th, 2005, 08:43 AM
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Diocletian's Baths
I'm finding scant information on this site in Rome which makes me think it is either closed for renovations / repairs, or I'm using the wrong name.
Have any recent travelers to Italy included this in their itinerary, and can you share information as to coolness factor, cost and so on if so?
Have any recent travelers to Italy included this in their itinerary, and can you share information as to coolness factor, cost and so on if so?
Jul 15th, 2005, 08:53 AM
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The Terme di Diocleziano are open and used as one part of the Museo Nazionale Romano.
If you understand Italian, go to the Web site of the Ministero per i Beni culturali; click on Luoghi della cultura; enter Rome as Provincia and Museo Nazionale Romano as Nome.
The description states that the Terme contain a cloister designed by Michelangelo. Also, one can obtain a reduced-price ticket to visit all (five, I think) locations of the Museo Nazionale Romano.
If you understand Italian, go to the Web site of the Ministero per i Beni culturali; click on Luoghi della cultura; enter Rome as Provincia and Museo Nazionale Romano as Nome.
The description states that the Terme contain a cloister designed by Michelangelo. Also, one can obtain a reduced-price ticket to visit all (five, I think) locations of the Museo Nazionale Romano.
Jul 15th, 2005, 09:31 AM
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mdtravel,check this website for more informations.
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/roma.html
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/roma.html
Jul 15th, 2005, 04:06 PM
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the church, to Michelangelo's design, is gorgeous imo
What I remember about this church, in the main nave, are the painted areas made to resemble real marble, which they are not. Running across the floor is a meridian with signs of the zodiac; for two hundred years clocks in Rome were regulated according to this meridian.
What I remember about this church, in the main nave, are the painted areas made to resemble real marble, which they are not. Running across the floor is a meridian with signs of the zodiac; for two hundred years clocks in Rome were regulated according to this meridian.
Jul 17th, 2005, 11:58 AM
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If you want a Bath 
, go to the 'Baths of Caracalla'. The 'Baths of Diocletian' are mostly destroyed, closed-off and turned in other bldgs like the museum and church.
The Caracalla Baths are best if you want to view one of these ancient massive bathing complexes.
If you get the combo-ticket it is also included along with the 'Museo Nazionale Romano' in the 'Baths of Diocletian'.
The museum in the Diocletian Baths is often overlooked by tourists but it is top notch if you are into history. The 2nd floor surrounding the courtyard has excellently displayed cases that have archaeological finds going back to the Stone Age right up until the founding the Rome (753BC).
The main part of the museum has many finds from the early Regal Period of the Roman Forum. Definitely check-out the finds in the Regia display case which was the Palace of the early Kings. Look for a pottery shard (~625BC) with the name REX etched in it. Rex means King and it's from a cup (others say a vase or bowl) that very possibly belonged to the King.
Also check-out the finds found beneath the 'Lapis Niger' and the large models of the 'Shrine of Volcanal' beneath it. This is the 'Black Stone' site in front of the Curia in the Roman Forum.
There are so many cool little things in this museum (curse tablets, stylus-pens, wax tablets, papyri, etc).
I like the funerary inscriptions (tombstones) many of them are of people (many Imperial slaves and Freedman) who were in the service of famous Emperors and Empresses and some have a footnote in history.
Like Nero's Freedman Epafrodito who escaped with the Emperor and helped him commit suicide minutes before capture. He later worked for Emperor Vespasian, Titus and finally Domitian who had him killed. And this act pushed those in Domitian's inner circle to fear for their own lives and eventually assassinate him.
Or poor Julianus who was a proud man with a brilliant military career, I know he *never* wanted his tombstone found and his story told
. He became the 'Prefect of the Praetorian Guard' for the wacky Emperor Commodus.
He fell into disfavor with Commodus which didn't take much. Commodus made him, with his face in make-up and playing cymbals dance naked in front of his concubines. He was later dragged outside and drowned in a pool.
Others are of doctors, cooks, attendants, secretaries, etc to the Emperors or other ancient famous people.
The museums's audioguide is very good and display case labels I believe are also in English.
To get an idea of what the Baths looked like go to http://classics.furman.edu/~rprior/imgs/RCU5/5-097.jpg (the train station would be off to the left). And you can see the semi-circular Exedra which was already mentioned that today the bldgs still follow this line in the Piazza d. Repubblica.
Notice the 2 circular bldgs to the left and right of the Exedra in the far 2 corners of the Bath complex. These are round pavilions which can be seen today.
The best one meaning more original is on Via Viminale and houses a restaurant
http://www2.siba.fi/~kkoskim/rooma/pages/167_029B.HTM
The other one has been built over and is a church in the Piazza S. Bernardo
www.romeartlover.it/Vas127bf.jpg
Regards, Walter
, go to the 'Baths of Caracalla'. The 'Baths of Diocletian' are mostly destroyed, closed-off and turned in other bldgs like the museum and church. The Caracalla Baths are best if you want to view one of these ancient massive bathing complexes.
If you get the combo-ticket it is also included along with the 'Museo Nazionale Romano' in the 'Baths of Diocletian'.
The museum in the Diocletian Baths is often overlooked by tourists but it is top notch if you are into history. The 2nd floor surrounding the courtyard has excellently displayed cases that have archaeological finds going back to the Stone Age right up until the founding the Rome (753BC).
The main part of the museum has many finds from the early Regal Period of the Roman Forum. Definitely check-out the finds in the Regia display case which was the Palace of the early Kings. Look for a pottery shard (~625BC) with the name REX etched in it. Rex means King and it's from a cup (others say a vase or bowl) that very possibly belonged to the King.
Also check-out the finds found beneath the 'Lapis Niger' and the large models of the 'Shrine of Volcanal' beneath it. This is the 'Black Stone' site in front of the Curia in the Roman Forum.
There are so many cool little things in this museum (curse tablets, stylus-pens, wax tablets, papyri, etc).
I like the funerary inscriptions (tombstones) many of them are of people (many Imperial slaves and Freedman) who were in the service of famous Emperors and Empresses and some have a footnote in history.
Like Nero's Freedman Epafrodito who escaped with the Emperor and helped him commit suicide minutes before capture. He later worked for Emperor Vespasian, Titus and finally Domitian who had him killed. And this act pushed those in Domitian's inner circle to fear for their own lives and eventually assassinate him.
Or poor Julianus who was a proud man with a brilliant military career, I know he *never* wanted his tombstone found and his story told
. He became the 'Prefect of the Praetorian Guard' for the wacky Emperor Commodus. He fell into disfavor with Commodus which didn't take much. Commodus made him, with his face in make-up and playing cymbals dance naked in front of his concubines. He was later dragged outside and drowned in a pool.
Others are of doctors, cooks, attendants, secretaries, etc to the Emperors or other ancient famous people.
The museums's audioguide is very good and display case labels I believe are also in English.
To get an idea of what the Baths looked like go to http://classics.furman.edu/~rprior/imgs/RCU5/5-097.jpg (the train station would be off to the left). And you can see the semi-circular Exedra which was already mentioned that today the bldgs still follow this line in the Piazza d. Repubblica.
Notice the 2 circular bldgs to the left and right of the Exedra in the far 2 corners of the Bath complex. These are round pavilions which can be seen today.
The best one meaning more original is on Via Viminale and houses a restaurant
http://www2.siba.fi/~kkoskim/rooma/pages/167_029B.HTM
The other one has been built over and is a church in the Piazza S. Bernardo
www.romeartlover.it/Vas127bf.jpg
Regards, Walter
Jul 17th, 2005, 12:18 PM
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This shows the Piazza della Repubblica with the modern bldgs still following the line on the ancient semi-circular Exedra
http://www.accommodationroma.com/ima...ome-off_04.jpg
Regards, Walter
http://www.accommodationroma.com/ima...ome-off_04.jpg
Regards, Walter
Jul 17th, 2005, 07:09 PM
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I just got back from Rome yesterday, tried to go to the Terme Diocleziano on my trip to the National Museum of Rome...and found out it's currently closed. They are doing a dig or something there. They didn't know when it would open back up.
Aug 26th, 2005, 06:47 AM
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I can confirm that they are open, but we missed them. We ended up going to the museum, which has different and longer hours than the baths. The museum is a bust in my opinion. I would not go back for any reason personally. Just a bunch of fragmented statues and columns. And outside looks to be the lounge spot for all of the gypsies that prowl the streets so watch yourself.
