Fly to Rome to Experience the Baths of Caracalla After Dark Tour

The Roman Baths of Caracalla will be open on Saturday nights until 23rd October

A visit to Rome's Baths of Caracalla is a rare treat for most visitors; and seeing them at night was, until now, unimaginable. But yet, what better time to visit? The crowds are gone, the air has cooled, and the darkened silence transports you backwards to a time when these buildings played host to 1,500 Roman bathers. Now, with the coming of the autumn, comes the ability to see the Baths at night.

Each Saturday night through to 23rd October, the Baths of Caracalla will be open for guided night tours and visitors will be able to see the original resting place of the Farnese Bull up close and personal as they take in the complex from under star-lit sky.

Originally, the Caracalla Baths covered 28 acres, with walls climbing several stories high. The vaulted ceilings were so amazing that they were copied in the original Penn Station, New York. Baths on offer were cold, warm, and hot - and there was an Olympic-sized swimming pool as well as two gymnasiums and a library full of Latin and Greek works. In the surrounds, were shops and restaurants; the ancient Romans had every luxury at their disposal.

The Baths also served as an architectural delight. Covered in mosaics and frescoes, the Baths were home to hundreds of sculptures, including the Farnese Bull, an immense Hellenistic sculpture depicting the myth of Dirce and carved from a single block of marble.

Flights to Rome to see the Baths of Caracalla this autumn are available through a range of airlines, including Alitalia and EasyJet.

Posted by James, 22 September 2010 15:46

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• Alitalia
• EasyJet
• New York
• Rome