Baths of Caracalla by Haytham

Baths of Caracalla

by Haytham

After seeing the Necropolis, we walked along the Via Appia Antica. Along the way, we stopped at the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella, where we went inside; watched a short video explaining how the Romans used volcanic materials like basalt and ash to build the roads and the layers of the roads, which is why so much of them still stand today; and saw the inscription dedicated to Cecilia Metella carved into the structure, describing her as the wife of an important Roman figure. Walking along the street, you could see parts of the original stone road and the surrounding ruins, which made it easy to understand how important it was for connecting Rome to other parts of Italy and for moving armies and goods more effectively.

After that, we got to the Baths of Caracalla. As we walked in, we learned that these baths weren’t just for bathing; they were essentially a huge public complex for socializing with different-temperature rooms (hot, warm, and cold), workout areas, and places to relax, making it the Pro Club of the ancient world. Even though much of it is ruined now, the walls and open spaces are still massive, which makes it easier to imagine how big the baths truly were, and the intricate details we were able to see in the many frescoes we saw just at the beginning of the tour must have been when it was fully built.

Soon after we started walking around, we found the perfect spot, and after much planning and hard work, Matthew did his promposal to Claire after carrying his poster around all day to give it to her, which was a really cool moment and made the whole visit more memorable right away.

Then, out of nowhere, it started pouring rain. Everyone got under cover, and we ended up stranded there for at least 10 minutes, waiting for it to pass, but it didn’t. Eventually, the teachers made the executive decision that we had to just embrace the rain and make a run for it back to the bus. Everyone sprinted through the rain, getting completely soaked in the process. It was kind of annoying, but also kind of fun, and honestly, that whole situation is probably the most memorable part about visiting the baths.