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The Baths of Caracalla 

A presentation by Francesco Bonavita, Ph. D. 

In-person and virtual event on Tuesday, June 7 at 7 pm 

The epithet “Rome, the eternal city” has always resonated in Francesco Bonavita ever since he was a child. Taken at face value, it means the city has always existed and will continue to be so indefinitely. Recently, Bonavita revisited the Baths of Caracalla site, which for many centuries accommodated as many as 8,000 visitors each day.

Even though the area has suffered defacement and pillaging over time, one can still admire its architectural splendor, which provided inspiration for future builders of cathedrals during the Middle Ages, and, in modern times, it inspired architects when designing train stations across the world.

Thus, the term “eternal” is not simply relegated to the notion that Rome will perpetuate itself, but rather that the antiquity of Rome will continue to be a source of inspiration. The baths, as with so many other structures, embodied the identity of ancient Rome. In this presentation, we hope to give credit to Romans baths and to see why they were admired as wonders of the world.