Baths of Diocletian the Mother of God of the Sign. The Baths of Diocletian in Rome is a huge complex for water procedures. Therapeutic properties Therm

The ruins of ancient Roman baths - the baths of Diocletian - were erected in the distant 298-305 AD. In modern Rome, these ancient baths belong to. In addition to the baths, the museum includes three more objects located separately: the Balbi crypt and.

History of the Baths of Diocletian

The Roman emperor Gaius Diocletian wanted to build the largest baths that no other could compare with. So there were baths, the total area of ​​​​which, together with gardens, occupied about 13 hectares.

Since 537, after the destruction of the aqueduct by the Ostrogothic king Vitiges, the baths no longer functioned as intended.

In 1563, on behalf of Emperor Pius IV, Michelangelo carried out a large-scale reconstruction of the Diocletian Baths. So the term caldarium was reincarnated as a church dedicated to the Mother of God, angels and martyrs. The building of the Carthusian monastery was built. Thanks to such diligent reconstruction, these ancient Roman baths have survived to this day much better than others.

Baths of Diocletian could simultaneously accommodate up to 3 thousand people. Very extensive gardens were decorated with fountains and pavilions. On the territory there were halls for meetings and sports exercises, a library worked.

Museum at the Baths of Diocletian

Since 1889, a collection of Roman and Greek art has been located in the baths. In general, there is something to see and admire.

In the thermal museum you will see not only the masterpieces of Michelangelo, brought to life in the church and monastery, but also ancient statues, sarcophagi, reliefs, altars, tombs and much more.

How to get there

The Baths of Diocletian in Rome are located near the Republic Square. Opposite the main station of Rome Termini.

Working hours: The thermal museum can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 19:30. The ticket price is 7 euros. Persons from 18 to 25 years old - 3.5 euros. On the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for visitors under 18. The ticket price includes admission to the rest of the objects of the National Museum of Rome. The ticket is valid for 3 days.

Museum of the Baths of Diocletian- This is one of the four buildings that house the National Roman Museum. Other places are as follows: Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Palazzo Altemps, Crypt Balbi. Post about the Museum of Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, where, through the route of the museum, one can relive the history, myths and daily life in Rome.

Initially Baths of Diocletian was a colossal imperial-era thermal complex built between 298 and 306 AD, covering an area of ​​over 13,000 m2.

According to legend, the baths were built by Christians condemned to death. They accommodated more than 3,000 bathers at a time, approximately twice the number of people for which the Baths of Caracalla were designed. It took 10 years to build them, compared to the 5 years it took to build the Baths of Caracalla. At the terms there were three thousand baths and three spacious pools with clean, clear water.

In imperial times, the baths were open to men as well as women and children, and even a very modest fee of one quadrant was sometimes covered by the generosity of the emperor or some rich man who could take on the entire cost of visiting the baths for a period of one day to one year. The Romans went to the thermae to meet others, to walk and chat, some to play ball and other games, others to experience more intense physical activity such as wrestling or to watch others do it, and of course to get cool. in summer and warm in winter. The cold baths were in the frigidarium, a cool room in the bathhouse; there was also a warm room, or tepidarium, and a heated room, the calidarium, where there were warm baths and hot steam to induce perspiration, as in our modern Turkish baths. The room was even hotter, laconic, used mainly by the sick. Warmth was provided by a fierce fire under the floor, kindled by slaves, using large amounts of wood.

Bathers could enjoy any or all of them in turn and in any other order. Now little remains of the former glory of the term, but they still excite our impressions. The same feelings overwhelm at the sight.

Today it is the site of the National Roman Museum, founded in 1898. Its archaeological heritage is one of the richest in the world, it comes from various collections, and partly consists of finds found in the baths. On the territory of the thermal complex, Michelangelo skillfully placed the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the Renaissance style, which Pope Pius IV wished in 1561.

In the monastery courtyard, created by Michelangelo, more than 400 sculptures of all types belonging to Roman masters are exhibited (architectural finds, marble groups and statues, sarcophagi, donation altars).

The museum section at the Baths of Diocletian was conceived to introduce the beginning of Roman history.

It contains an extensive epigraphic section, showing the emergence of the Latin language through texts written in various media dating back to the period from the 8th century BC. until the 4th century AD

Baths of Diocletian ( Terme di Diocleziano) were built between 298 and 306, becoming the crowning achievement of the engineering thought of their time, and represented a colossal thermal complex with an area of ​​​​more than 13,000 square meters. meters, the largest ever built in Rome. According to legend, they were built by Christians condemned to death.

The terms occupied the space between, Viminal and. Their size can be estimated by walking around the objects built in their place. This is the basilica, the National Roman Museum, the basilica. Rome's main station, Termini, is also named after the Baths of Diocletian.

The thermal facilities were located on a fenced artificial platform. They included fountains, pavilions, libraries, meeting rooms. In the center of the complex were the baths themselves, built according to the standard plan that had become by that time - a central axis with symmetrically located rooms.

The simple facades of the thermal baths, covered with "marbled" plaster, were enlivened by scanty mosaic panels at the entrances. Such simplicity of decoration and the gradual increase in volume towards the central hall emphasized the grandeur of the complex and distinguished it from places of worship. The absence of curvilinear rooms and, consequently, the diversity of interior forms is the influence of the East.

The Baths of Diocletian accommodated more than 3,000 visitors at a time. There were 3000 individual baths and three pools with the purest water. Cold baths were in the frigidarium, warm baths in the tepidarium, and hot baths in the caldarium. The hottest room - laconic - was used mainly by the sick. The heat was created by fire under the floor, supported by slaves. Solar heat was also used to heat water. Water came through a diversion from the Marcius aqueduct.

The baths were open to all residents, including women and children, and were completely affordable. But even a modest entrance fee was often covered by the generosity of the emperor or some rich person, who took on the cost of visiting the baths by citizens for a period of one day to a year.

Visitors came to the baths not only to wash. All sorts of entertainment, feasts and other events were held within their walls. Here, for example, there was a library in which philosophical debates took place, and in the gymnasiums one could engage in sports games and physical exercises. In addition, here it was simply possible to get warm in winter and cool in summer.

The complex functioned until the 6th century and began to fall into disrepair and collapse with the advent of the Goths, who blocked the aqueducts to deprive the Romans of water. And only in the 16th century, under the guidance of the great 87-year-old sculptor and architect Michelangelo, a basilica was built on the ruins of the tepidarium, with the preservation of its walls. Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri,so named in honor of the Christian martyrs who died during the construction of the terms.

A number of rooms of the term became part of the museum, and one of the round lobbies was converted into another basilica -San Bernardo alle Terme.The remains of another such vestibule can be seen between Via Viminale and Piazza dei Cinquecento.

The decision to establish the National Roman Museum was made in 1889. Its section at the Baths of Diocletian was conceived as an introduction to the beginning of Roman history.The exposition of the museum is the very walls of the terms, antique sculptures, household items, weapons of the ancient Romans, Etruscans and other peoples inhabiting the Apennine Peninsula. The rarest exhibits are the sarcophagi of ancient and Christian Rome. An extensive epigraphic section demonstrates the emergence and development of the Latin language in various media from the period of the 8th century BC. - 4th century AD

The Romans were specialists not only in military affairs and art. Built in the 3rd century AD, the Baths of Diocletian (Terme di Diocleziano) were truly the crowning creation of engineering thought of that time. The technical equipment of the baths was far ahead of its time. In terms of convenience and quality of execution, the terms can compete with modern SPA complexes of our time. The baths owe their name to the Roman emperor Gaius Aurelius Diocletian, the same one who at the end of his reign renounced power and retired to his small homeland to grow cabbage.

The area allotted for construction was 30 hectares. At the same time, more than three thousand people could take water procedures in the baths, for whom individual baths were installed and public steam rooms were equipped. Three large swimming pools have also been built for visitors. Water was supplied to the baths and pools in a cocurrent flow through a complex design of a water pipe connected to a branch of the Marcius aqueduct.

The townspeople (and the entrance was allowed to all free citizens) not only bathed, but also spent time culturally in the gardens with sculptures, attended performances in the amphitheater, read books in the library and did physical exercises in the gym.

Unfortunately, by the 7th century, the Baths of Diocletian fell into disrepair and gradually collapsed. In the middle of the 16th century, the great sculptor and architect Michelangelo built on the remains of the bath a new Renaissance style term and a monastery.

Therapeutic properties Therm

Bathing in warm water rich in mineral salts has been considered a healing event since ancient times. Hydrotherapy in thermal springs, according to Hippocrates, had a positive effect on the general physical condition of a person. Roman baths received special value due to the supply of water of various temperatures to the baths. Surprisingly, the heating of the water by the sun's rays was organized, while the water in the shaded areas remained cool. Roman physicians noted the special chemical and physical properties of spring water, which had a beneficial effect on the health of the Romans.

Grand Thermae today

Today, the Baths of Diocletian are an interesting architectural monument, divided into three parts, surrounded by the gardens of Republic Square.

Part of the territory was given over to the main exposition of the National Roman Museum, or the Thermae Museum. The exposition of the museum is the walls of the terms themselves, ancient sculptures (including the creations of Michelangelo himself) and other objects from the life of ancient Rome. Another part of the Baths of Diocletian was rebuilt into the Basilica of San Bernardo alle Terme. The rest of the buildings in the form of ruins are left to modern tourists visiting Rome for study and admiration.

Travel and visiting conditions

The baths are located on Via Enrico de Nicola, house number 79. The best way to get to the thermae and the museum is to use the Roman metro. You need to get off at the Republic (Repubblica) or Termini (Termini) stations, then follow the signs to walk a few hundred meters. Another way of travel: buses No. 82, 61, 62, 60, 492 to the Cernaia stop.

Entrance for foreigners is paid, tickets are sold at the box office. The cost of getting acquainted with the terms is 8.5-12 euros, depending on the number of sights to see. For a maximum cost of 12 euros, tourists get the opportunity to explore Thermae in full within a few days. Visitation for tourists is allowed on all days except Monday, from 9:00 to 19:45, ticket offices close half an hour before closing time.

Not far from the term is a baroque church.

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