Baths of Constantine (Rome)

The Baths of Constantine were the last major thermal baths, which were built in ancient Rome.

Design and Architecture

About the baths that were built during the reign of Emperor Constantine I in 315 AD, little is known. They were built on the irregular space between the Vicus Longus, the Alta Semita, the clivus Salutis and the vicus laci Fundani. Since the terrain was hilly, the already standing on the site of houses dating from the 4th century were used as base to obtain a level at which the baths were built. Based on the available land area, the spas of all others in Rome differ. For example, the caldarium was on both sides waived vestibules, since the available space was too narrow. The system was aligned from north to south to take advantage of the sun for heating. The main entrances were in the middle of the north side and the west, from where a staircase up from the top of the hill to the Field of Mars (Campus Martius ) led down.

Since the main building occupied all the space between the roads in the West and East, has been dispensed with the usual Peribolus and only the front part of the facility surrounded by a semi-circular enclosure, where today the Palazzo della Consulta is. The Frigidarium seems to have had its longer axis in Nordsüdausrichtung place in an east-west orientation. Behind it were the tepidarium and caldarium which, each in a round shape. The only mention of the thermal baths in ancient sources can be found in Ammianus Marcellinus, in addition, they are one. 1:10; 3.6; 7:11 called.

The bathrooms were suffering in the century after its construction heavily by fire and earthquake, and were 443 AD renovated by the city prefect Petronius Perpenna Magnus Quadratianus. At this time, the two could Dioskurenstatuen, which are now in the Piazza del Quirinale, have been erected at the spa.

Rediscovery

At the beginning of the sixteenth century were still enough Wall remnants of the system is available, which enabled the then architects to customize floor plans and drawings of which dates back to the most current knowledge about the plant. The remains were almost completely destroyed in 1605-1621 during the construction of the Palazzo Rospigliosi. However, a century later, some remains were rediscovered some of which can now be seen near the casino the palazzo.

Works of art

On the site of the Baths remarkable works of art have been found, including:

• The Bronze Statue of a pugilist and an athlete who now are in the National Roman Museum.
• Two statues of Constantine, one of which is now in the pronaos of the Lateran, the other in the Capitoline Museum, together with a statue of his son Constantius.
• Frescoes, originally to about 1929 at the Palazzo Rospigliosi and now in the Museo delle Terme - originating from an earlier building, perhaps the Domus Claudiorum.