**History and Evolution:** – Construction initiated by Septimius Severus and completed during Caracalla’s reign in AD 216. – Located on a site previously a garden estate called horti Asiniani. – Over 2,000 tonnes of material installed daily for six years to complete the baths. – Functional until the 6th century, then used as a Christian pilgrimage site. – Used for pilgrim burials in the 6th and 7th centuries. – Popes Adrian I, Sergius II, and Nicholas I may have conducted aqueduct work in the 9th century. – Used as a quarry for construction materials since the 12th century. – Transformed into vineyards and gardens in the 14th century. – Stones used for St. Peter’s Basilica by Pope Pius II in the 15th century. – Excavations in the mid-16th century led to the creation of Museo Farnese. **Excavation, Restoration, and Architecture:** – Excavations by various individuals revealed mosaics, statues, and artifacts. – Restoration work in the 19th century revealed significant architectural elements. – Expansion of excavations in the early 20th century uncovered subterranean passages and a Mithraeum. – Second largest Roman public baths after the Baths of Diocletian. – Heated by a hypocaust system with a capacity of 6,000 to 8,000 bathers. – Aqua Antoniniana aqueduct specifically built to serve the Baths of Caracalla. – The bath complex covered 25 hectares with millions of bricks used in construction. – Main building could hold an estimated 1,600 bathers. **Interior and Subterranean Features:** – Included a public library, cold, medium, and hot rooms, and gyms for wrestling and boxing. – Mithraeum considered the largest documented gathering space for Mithra worshippers. – Tunnels used for heating baths and water outflow, lit by skylight-type windows. – Columns made of granite and weighing close to 100 tons. – High-quality sculptures ornamented the baths, including the Farnese Bull and Hercules. **Cultural Impact and Modern Influence:** – Influenced later architecture like the Baths of Diocletian and Basilica of Maxentius. – Modern structures inspired by the baths include St Georges Hall in Liverpool and Pennsylvania Station in New York City. – Direct copies of the baths’ architecture used in Penn Station, Senate of Canada Building, and Chicago Union Station. **Use as a Cultural Venue:** – Rome Opera Company used the central part of the complex as its summer home from 1937 to 1993. – Venue hosted the first Three Tenors concert in 1990. – Rome Grand Prix took place at the baths four times from 1947 to 1951. – Gymnastics events of the 1960 Summer Olympics were held at the venue. – Served as a filming location for ‘John Wick: Chapter 2.’ – Popular tourist attraction open to the public with restricted access to protect mosaic floors.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baths_of_Caracalla