Another Great Day in Rome Including the Circus Maximus and the Baths of Caracalla--by Devika

Text by Devika, Photos by Kelli unless otherwise noted

Today was our final day in Rome since tomorrow we will go outside of the city to Cerveteri before leaving for the south on Monday. With sore feet and sun burned faces, we made our way to our usual subway stop: Cornelia. After a busy subway ride with a transfer to end at the Forum, we walked next to the Tiber River and to the Santa Maria in Cosmedine. If one has watched Roman Holiday, you'd recognize the statue where the characters place their hands in the mouth of a statue. Word has it, the statue there can tell if you are a liar or not. You place your hand in the daunting smile of the statue, if you are truly a liar, your hand will be cut off. As haughty teenagers, we assumed we'd all be left handless! We've all lied about finishing our homework at some point! Sadly, we all still have our hands attached. 

La Bocca della Verità

Some students explored the inside of the church while some had to wait outside. The church was extremely small but well worth it. 

After our adventure at the church, we made our way to the circus Maximus. For those who have not had a classics class, the circus Maximus is where all the racing events happened. There were four teams to pick from and your usual Roman would have their favorite team. Just like our modern day football spirit, ancient Romans had their share of games. Fun Fact: the Ars Amoris (a book on how to find love) suggested that one sides with the same team as their crush in a way to advance in a relationship! Because we were at the racing grounds, we just had to race each other like the ancients. We first started out with a small speed walking race, every man for themselves! And in the end , Telly placed first. Then, a few kids ran down the Spina ( the long island where chariots would race around). Telly once again came in first, but everyone did their best. We were quite the spectacular sight for all the tour groups exploring the grounds. And gave our peers a good sigh to laugh at. 

A speed walking race around the Circus Maximus

Sweaty from our adventures, we moved to the Baths of Caracalla.

Walking around the Circus Maximus and towards the Baths of Caracalla.

The Baths were built between 212-217 A.D. The grounds for the baths are around 20 feet larger than Overlake, and we had an amazing time exploring them. With two gym areas and an extremely large bath space, there was much to see. We saw amazing mosaics and beautiful arches! It was truly interesting to finally see a bath house after studying them for many years. Personally my favorite was the large pool! It was about that size of the pools used at the Olympics. One would think that an area with two large gyms, an Olympic sized pool, and a large bath area would only be for the elite. Yet, the Baths are free for all to use. The Romans used their houses for sleeping, eating, and maybe an occasional party , while we use our houses for work, play, and everything else. The baths were used to meet new people, bathe, and even take part in some games. Pool games aren't a modern invention at all, It's said that the Romans might have played a game with a small ball by the edge of the pool: the foundation for water polo. The baths were a hit among everyone, and we were all extremely sad to leave the ancient place. Yet, with stomachs empty and our eyes dancing with excitement for the Via Appia, it was time to leave.

The Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla and Telly

Pieces of the ancient mosaic floor

Check out Steven's upcoming post for the afternoon adventures including the Catacombs of San Sebastiano and the Via Appia.

Our last night was truly a night to remember and we all have different stories to tell. We split up into small groups and had three hours to eat and explore. My group spent some time shopping and even got some gelato with a shot of espresso on top called affogato. Truly delicious! I spent the night walking around the Spanish Steps and enjoyed learning more about my peers on the trip. After meeting back up, we moved towards the Spagna metro station to climb aboard our usual subway train back to the Casa la Salle. We were all exhausted and stuffed, ready to hit the hay and rest for another day in Italy.