The ancient Roman Baths of Diocletian reopened to the public this week, following a six-year restoration project.
Highlights of the complex are the natatio, the largest open-air swimming pool in antiquity, and the small cloister of the late 16th-century church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, converted from the remains of the calidarium (hot bath) by Michelangelo in what would be the last structure he built – he was 86 years old at the time. Significant are also the marble sculptures depicting ancient cults revived by Augustus, Rome's first emperor.
Built between 298 and 306 AD in honor of the emperor Diocletian, the baths are the largest and most sumptuous thermal complex ever built in Rome. They extended over 13 hectares and could accommodate up to 3,000 people. They are located on the Viminal Hill, very close to Termini railway station.
The reopening is part of a program of events to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Augustus’ death in 14 AD.
