Titus Baths

The Baths of Titus, built in 79 AD and inaugurated the following year, represent one of the oldest examples of imperial baths in Rome. Located on the Oppian Hill, these baths were built near Nero’s Domus Aurea, using part of the pre-existing structures. Emperor Titus, son of Vespasian, wanted to give back to the Roman people a place of leisure and well-being, making the Baths of Titus a symbol of imperial magnificence. The structure of the baths reflected a typical functional and symmetrical organization, with rooms dedicated to different activities. The complex included various thermal rooms: the calidaria, heated rooms with hot baths, the tepidarium, a warm room, and the frigidarium, a large cold room with side baths. Access to the baths was marked by a monumental staircase that connected the Colosseum to the thermal area, emphasizing the importance and centrality of the complex in Roman urban life. The baths were built in three main phases: the original construction under Titus, a restoration intervention under Emperor Hadrian, and a subsequent expansion in the 3rd century. During these interventions, new architectural and decorative elements were added, contributing to making the Baths of Titus an example of elegance and sophistication. Despite these changes, the baths remained smaller than the later ones of Caracalla and Diocletian, but surpassed the latter in terms of taste and artistic detail. The artistic aspect of the baths is evidenced by the numerous decorations and frescoes that adorned the interior walls. The underground areas of the baths, still well preserved today, feature arabesque paintings of great variety and liveliness, reminiscent of the grotesque style that became famous during the Renaissance. It is said that Raphael himself drew inspiration from these frescoes for the decorations of the Vatican loggias, although there is no definitive proof that he himself discovered and reburied them. Next to the baths was the palace of Titus, famous for housing the renowned sculptural group of Laocoön, discovered during the Renaissance excavations and now exhibited in the Vatican Museums. This palace and the adjacent baths formed a unique complex that testified to the grandeur and sophistication of imperial Rome. Unfortunately, the Baths of Titus were abandoned over time and today only a few visible remains remain. However, the surviving ruins still allow us to appreciate the original grandeur of this thermal complex. The underground areas, in particular, offer a fascinating glimpse into daily life in ancient Rome, as well as an example of the extraordinary artistic and architectural skill of the Romans.