Baths of diocletian michelangelo biography

You'll pass through a small gift shop into a courtyard with nice views of some of the interior walls of the baths 1st through 5th photos below , which are now unfortunately exterior walls due to collapse of ceilings and walls over the millenia. At this point you're standing in what is today called Piazalla San Pio X, which is located in what was once one of the two Palaestra gymnasiums of the Baths of Diocletian 5 in the diagram.

These were huge rooms where you might perform light exercise before your bath. Continue walking out to the street Via Cernaia and turn left. You're still within the Palaestra. The wall forming the inner edge of the Palaestra is on you left 6th and 7th photos below , and the wall forming the outer edge of the Palaestra is across the street 8th photo below.

A mosaic floor, reminiscent of a fish-scale floor from the Baths of Caracalla is shown in the 9th photo below. Cross the street Via Cernaia and walk a very short distance down Via Pastrengo, then a look left toward the building with the dome the Octagon Hall , and down to see the remains of an oval room northeast of the Palaestra foreground of 1st photo below.

Continue walking down Via Pastrengo to the first street, Via Parigi, and take a left to head toward that building with a dome. You'll see the outer side of the wall forming the outer edge of the Palaestra from here, as shown in the 2nd and 3rd photos below. Just past that first exedra in the wall is the entrance into the tiny church of Sant'Isidoro alla Terme 4th photo below.

Just beyond that church, again on the left side, is the Octagon Hall 8 on the diagram , which was once a planetarium but is now part of the National Museum of Rome - Terme di Diocleziano. You must have a valid ticket for the museum to enter the hall. This has been closed all three times I've visited it, but you might want to check whether it's open now while you're here, so you know whether to return later or see it now if you have a valid museum ticket.

I've read that the well-preserved Octagonal Hall is a great place to see the original scale and structure of the Baths of Diocletian. It contains many artifacts found during the excavation of the baths. Though currently closed except when hosting an exhibition, it is the sheer scale and preservation of the structure that impresses most, so if it's open, be sure to take a peek inside.

My best photo of the Octagon Hall is embarrassingly off in the distance of the 1st photo below. Sheesh, now I really have to go back to Rome! Continue walking down Via Parigi until you reach the main street Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando , then turn right, and turn left at the first street Via 20 Septtembre. Just past the corner, tucked back on the left side, is the church of San Bernardo alle Terme , which was one corner tower of the outside wall of the Baths of Diocletian 9 in the diagram, 1st photo below.

While you're at this corner, be sure to see the incredible church of Santa Maria della Vittoria 2nd and 3rd photos below and the Moses Fountain 4th photo below , both unrelated to the Baths of Diocletian, but conveniently located right at this corner. Unfortunately, it's now a long walk to the next part of the Baths of Diocletian - the entrance to the National Museum of Rome - Terme di Diocleziano at 13 in the diagram, which is diagonally opposite where we are now.

Alternately, if you're going a different direction for now, the closest metro stop to the museum is the Termini metro stop. If you're a fanatic, like me, you might want to pass the entrance to the museum and peek around the corner at 10 on the diagram 1st photo below before backtracking and entering the museum at The National Museum of Rome - Terme di Diocleziano was created in adjacent to the southern edge of the Michelangelo Cloister to house works of art from ancient Rome.

There was an estimate made by an ancient Roman historian that put the number of concurrent visitors at 3,, but that seems like a suspiciously round number and not verifiable. These baths were a complete experience for the mind, body and soul of the Roman people. The facilities included:. The opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from am until pm, with the last admission at pm.

Here is the website for buying tickets for the Baths of Diocletian. You can also buy them at the ticket booth at the museum, but there would be no guarantee of availability. If the Thermal Baths of Diocletian were interesting to you, these other posts are highly recommended for your review:. Using car sharing in Rome can be challenging for foreigners, but this detailed guide makes it easier with the frequently asked questions that you might have.

The Monumental Cemetery of Verano in Rome has a long history as a final resting place for those who have died in the city and is a fascinating place to visit. Janiculum Hill is a great place to see some of the best views in Rome, a historical temple, one of my favorite fountains in the city and tributes to Garibaldi. This Roman Classic Pasta alla Gricia recipe is simple to make and with delicious flavors that you will want to add to your recipe collection of pasta dinners.

When choosing train travel in Italy you have some great options, including high-speed and regional trains. This guide helps you travel in Italy with ease. This delicious and hearty soup recipe is full of Garbanzo beans, tomatoes, Rosemary and pasta. This easy and flavorful recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Despite their similar size, the capacity of the Baths of Diocletian was said to be much greater than the Baths of Caracalla.

This could be because the entrance and rooms were made larger than its predecessor in block size, which allowed more space and functionality. However, this claim is disputed because Olympiodorus never described how he calculated this figure. The word frigidarium originates from the Latin word frigeo , which means "to be cold". The prominence of the room and its conjoining rooms showed the increase in popularity cold baths had during the early 4th century compared to hot baths.

This also could have been a result of the depletion of the surrounding forests, resulting in a lack of fuel. The frigidarium , or cella frigidaria consisted of a pool and a host of smaller baths connected to the main room. Water entering the room would come from a pipe or cistern and would exit through a drain within the pool. The water from the pool was thought to have been reused to flush latrines within the complex.

Baths of diocletian michelangelo biography

The frigidarium was used mainly as a swimming pool or a cold-water bath, depending on the time. Normally, one would continue on to the frigidarium after using the hot-water baths or after exercising in the palaestra. Noting the massive size of the room, it was believed to have also been used as a social room. This idea is supported by the presence of statues and elaborate niches along the walls.

Today the room forms the colossal transept section of the Basilica of St. The word caldarium comes from the Latin word caleo , meaning "to be hot". The purpose of the caldarium was that of the principal bath chamber within the baths. From its namesake, the room was used for a hot-water bath or for saunas or steam rooms. The room could have also been used for oiling before or after a bath, but, in most cases, this was moved to a separate room off of the caldarium.

The caldarium, or cella caldaria , was rectangular in shape with many octagonal rooms found near it in the corner of the structure. The area seemed to be referencing the older Baths of Nero and Titus in its initial design. What set this caldarium apart was the sheer scale of the room compared to its predecessors. It continued a basilica-like theme from the frigidarium with a cross-vaulted middle bay and three projecting apses.

These architectural techniques created the feeling of a more open space for the patron. Dressing rooms, also known as apodyteria , were located on either side of the caldarium. Along the sides of the caldarium were private rooms that are believed to have had multiple functions, including private baths, poetry readings, rhetoricians, etc. Other areas attached to the caldarium were a garden, lounging rooms, gymnasiums, and small halls and semicircular exedrae used as lecture and reading rooms.

Rectangular halls connected to the hemicycle have been suggested to be libraries because of their similar set-up to those in the Baths of Caracalla. The author of the Life of Probus mentions that part of the Bibliotheca Ulpia , was located in the Forum of Trajan , and part within the Baths of Trajan, although he later contradicts that statement when referring to the Bibliotheca Ulpia.

The presence of similar spaces in the Baths of Caracalla and the Baths of Trajan therefore makes it not unreasonable to assume that the baths of Diocletian contained a library. Within the frigidarium, the use of external buttresses for the cross vaults was considered by some to be the first example of the scientific system of thrusts and counter-thrusts in architecture.

The builders of the baths used different techniques to create this effect. The exterior walls of the bath were encrusted with stucco to give the impression of stonework. The structure of the roof is a typical example of Classical design. Architects used sloped forms to cover curved extrados the outer surface of the arch of the vaulted halls.

From the central structure were derived the plans for the Basilica of Constantine. A part was, for many years, starting in the s, the studio of the sculptor Moses Jacob Ezekiel. The museum is located in what is known as "Michelangelo's Cloister" and other buildings that were part of the Carthusian monastery as well as several halls south of the eastern palestra.

The former main entrance hall of the museum connects the 16th-century outer garden around a large Krater used as a fountain with the cloister. The Epigraphic Museum is located in modern premises. The prehistoric exhibits are on the first floor of the cloister colonnade. The cloister itself exhibits numerous pieces of statuary. The church of San Bernardo alle Terme uses one of only two circular buildings in the rectangular enclosure of the baths, flanking its southwestern wall.

Between these two structures, a large exedra used to exist as part of the same wall. This is now occupied by Piazza della Repubblica. Media related to Thermae of Diocletian at Wikimedia Commons. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. On the right is the western side, showing Via Cernaia going through the ruins and separating the western edge from the main baths.

At the top, you can make out the vast semi-circle of the Piazza della Repubblica which occupies the site of the former huge theatre exedra of the Baths of Diocletian. The domed Octagonal Hall is in the top-right corner. Furthermore, the vast wall facade that faced the now-vanished Natatio can be seen stretching all along the breadth of the basilica.

The inside spaces of the Baths of Diocletian have certainly changed over the 1, years since it opened in AD. A visitor to these baths today will undoubtedly notice that the interior parts of the Baths of Diocletian vary dramatically, and many sections no longer exist. While some areas of the baths resemble how they looked in the fourth century due to renovations, other areas have been reduced to bare brick and concrete due to fifteen centuries of pillaging and neglect.

Fortunately, the basilica's beautiful vaulted ceiling and eight supporting columns are the original structures that astonishingly survived 1, years. This ceiling, of course, is the Main Hall of the former Frigidarium area, shown in the photo above. In addition, the domed ceilings of the former Tepidarium and Octagonal Hall also have survived.

Despite the unfortunate reality that many parts of the Baths of Diocletian have been lost, the remaining sections have been converted into two churches and various museums where ancient art and other antiquities are displayed. These areas of the Baths of Diocletian in the 21st century are explored further on this page. The odds of an ancient Roman building surviving the ravages of time significantly increased if it was converted into a church.

However, unlike the Pantheon , which was converted into a Christian church early in AD , it took an additional years for the Baths of Diocletian. That was almost ten centuries during which the baths were abandoned, neglected, and pillaged for materials. Fortunately, due to its vast size, solid construction, and some luck, the central area of the ancient baths retained its vital column and roof infrastructure - this made the process of conversion much more feasible and successful.

Two critical periods in European history were the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. These two eras became joined in the transformation of part of the Baths of Diocletian into a basilica in the s. Another important consideration regarding the transformation is how it helped to preserve and bolster the baths crumbling infrastructure. By the 16th century , the Baths of Diocletian's structure was considered so hazardous that the public was barred from accessing the site.

The authorities worried that parts of the structure might fall on people's heads. The history behind this remarkable conversion from Roman ruin to Renaissance basilica is quite fascinating, and it involves one of the Renaissance's greatest artists, as explained below. The Church believes that many Christians died while being forced to build the baths during the years to AD.

Twelve hundred years later, a young priest from Sicily by the name of Antonio Lo Duca had a vision in AD that ultimately led to the creation of a church inside the ancient baths. In his vision, he saw a bright light over the Baths of Diocletian , and he beheld seven Angels that had given relief and assistance to Christian martyrs forced to build these baths.

Antonio believed his vision meant God was telling him a church must be built in the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian to honour the Christian martyrs and the seven angels - and thus the reason for the words "Angeli" angels and "Martiri" martyrs in the church name. However, it took many years of pleading his case to various church officials before Pius IV , Pope from , finally agreed to finance renovating the baths into a church.

The considerable task of the renovation was given to Michelangelo , who began working on the project in In his usual brilliant fashion, Michelangelo , at the age of 86, used the original parts of the baths as much as possible as he adapted the remaining structures of the baths' central area into a church basilica. Unfortunately, in , he passed away before finishing the work of transforming the baths into a basilica.

Michelangelo's project thus had to be completed by one of his students by the name of Jacopo Lo Duca. This man, coincidentally, was the nephew of Antonio Lo Duca , who had the vision of angels. Almost years later, and after more renovations, this church still looks impressive inside. Entering it is almost like visiting this part of the baths in the fourth century when it was filled with tall columns, elegantly carved marble decorations, walls covered with marble panels, and gleaming floors made of inlaid marble and granite.

The success of Michelangelo's renovation is undeniable. Just like the ancient Roman architects before him, he created a sensation of huge, beautiful spaces that amaze and delight the eye. An amazing fact about the photo above is that many of those columns and the marble capitals are the ancient originals that survived over 1, years. The red granite columns were quarried in Egypt and shipped to Rome, which was a huge undertaking as each metre long column 40 feet weighed tonnes.

So though this church is not really an exact reproduction of what the ancient baths looked like, you can still get a good approximation of the splendour of ancient Roman architecture, akin to the experience of seeing the interior of the Pantheon. Upon seeing the interior of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri for the first time, I was impressed by the soaring ceilings, huge columns, and intricate marble decoration throughout the vast space.

And when you consider that this whole church occupies only a small part of the whole baths - one begins to understand how vast and impressive these ancient baths must have been in their prime. The carved marble detailing shown in the photo below is outstanding. The amount of work and skill needed to achieve this level of elegant architecture is truly impressive.

So often, when we see Roman ruins, these kinds of details have either been pillaged or worn down to just a shadow of their former glory. This same level of artistry is also evident in the Pantheon, which again demonstrates how beautiful Roman architecture was and how much we have lost. The eight red granite columns that support the vaulted ceiling are the original ancient columns that came from Egypt.

The ceiling and the capitals atop those eight columns are also ancient and have survived into the 21st century. In my photo above, you can see this vaulted ceiling which has had a combination of plaster and paint applied to it during s renovations of the baths. Also in this photo, you can see where eight ceiling vaults come down and make contact with the eight original columns.

And those columns were actually much higher in the past because they stood on top of a 2-metre high 6 feet rectangular plinth which disappeared from view when the floor was raised. If you have seen the ceilings of other very old and great churches in Italy, you will notice quite a difference. The ceiling we see here is white, unadorned, and simple.

This ceiling is unlike other church ceilings that are covered in frescoes and decoration. I am glad they left the ceiling of Santa Maria degli Angeli pure and white. You may notice there are several dark spots, which may be where lighting, such as chandeliers, were suspended - but I am guessing at what they might be. I do remember reading an article describing those ceiling spots as the "original bronze rosettes from which lighting was hung.

During Roman times or the Renaissance? Unfortunately, I could not find any further information. Next time I am in Rome, I will enter the basilica and use binoculars to get a good, close look to see what they really are, other than just dark spots. Another wonderful effect of this ceiling, as shown above, is how it works with the surrounding large windows to create a pleasant effect of light on the inlaid marble floors and walls when the Sun is shining.

Somehow, the pure white light is refracted by the windows to produce a rainblow-like effect of many colours - this compliments both the colours of the floor marbles and the large paintings on the walls. I noticed that the effect stopped when clouds covered the Sun. At first, I assumed that, like other old churches, the basilica had stained glass windows casting coloured light on the floor - but that is not so.

The only stained glass in the whole basilica was located in the main entrance area facing the Piazza della Republicca. In ancient times, this entrance area to the basilica was the Tepidarium, which is still covered with a dome with a large hole in its centre, just like the Pantheon. It is a beautiful dome with a rosette in each of the coffered panels.

In ancient times, this dome's opening, called an oculus , was open to the sky, and rain fell into a pool below. However, now it is covered. In the year , the artist Narcissus Quagliata made a 5-metres wide The top of this dome sits 23 metres 75 feet above the floor. Actually, there was another glass cover, but it was of a yellowish hue that did not compliment the basilica's interior.

Also, it allowed rain to enter, which caused water damage - and so it was replaced by this pleasing and modern stained-glass creation. To see a closeup of the stained-glass cover, click this link. The ancient Roman architects made extensive use of arches to create Groin Vaults that could form ceilings over large areas. But if an arch is supporting substantial weight, it could collapse if both ends of the arch are not strongly supported.

The trick was to use thick walls and reinforcements, called Buttresses , at either end of the arch to make it stable and strong. Each of the four arches within the three inner "X" formations is a "groin" where all four groins join together and reinforce each other blue circle. In the diagram below, I show how an arch can be reinforced and stabilized by buttresses.

You can see how the bottom left and right sides of the arch are under considerable pressure due to gravity. Moreover, the force is pulling not only down but also to the sides, which could cause a collapse. The buttress at either end of the arch helps to counter any tendency of an arch to collapse by pressing up against either end of the arch.

A buttress is especially important when a column supports two or more arches, as is the case in the Baths of Diocletian frigidarium Main Hall. Each of the eight original columns supports at least three and sometimes four arches. Long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, many Roman ruins remained to show later generations how to build huge structures, as explained in this great article about gothic and romanesque architecture.

After the destruction of many aqueducts supplying water to Rome in AD , the Baths of Diocletian were no longer used. And then, for over 1, years, the baths remained abandoned until the s , when Michelangelo began converting the baths Frigidarium into a church. However, by this time, much of ancient Rome was now covered by several metres of sediment and debris.

Because the ground level outside the Baths of Diocletian was much higher than the inside floor level, Michelangelo decided to raise the floor so that it matched the outside ground level. Therefore, the floor inside the baths was raised by 2 metres 6 feet , which brought the floor surface to just below the bottom of the eight ancient columns still supporting the Main Hall ceiling.

In the photos below, the AD lower floor level changes to the current higher floor level raised in the s during Michelangelo's modifications. The massive red granite columns stood on 2-metre high 6. In the images above, I have lowered the floor back to its original level, thus fully exposing the ancient plinths. The image shows how much taller the columns were in the ancient past.

Today, just a small part of the plinths can be seen below the bottom of each column's torus. The ancient frigidarium hall likely was more impressive to the Romans because the ceiling was higher, thus creating a larger space. The hall we see today, though still impressive, is nevertheless truncated. Before exploring the cloisters of the Baths of Diocletian , I will explain the background history and characteristics of both the Small Cloister and the Large Cloister.

On the grounds of the former Baths of Diocletian , you will find two four-sided courtyards, one much larger than the other. These courtyards are called "cloisters," and the larger one is the biggest in Italy. Because these cloisters were built in the 16th century , they did not exist during Roman times. In fact, both cloisters were built on top of the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian.

Furthermore, as regards the Large Cloister , parts of the baths were actually demolished to make space for it. The image below shows the small and large cloisters from the air above the Baths of Diocletian. You can see how the Small Cloister is located above the upper left corner of the Large Cloister , and it is much smaller in size. The reason why they are called "cloisters" is that they are a form of colonnaded columned courtyard associated with monasteries, convents, and churches.

For over three centuries, from the s until , a monastery existed within the baths, and it is now used to display Roman statues as part of the "National Roman Museum. When Pope Pius IV commissioned Michelangelo to convert the central part of the Baths of Diocletian into a church, he also decided to make Carthusian monks the caretakers of the baths.

However, to fulfill their duty, these monks required a Charterhouse , which was built and existed in the Baths of Diocletian until The cloisters were built to house and serve the needs of the monks, who typically wore white robes, as shown in the 17th-century painting above. The monks who follow this order still exist today. However, their order is still secluded, and they live almost like hermits, living a life of work, silence, and contemplation.

They live in cells along the four sides of a courtyard known as a Cloister , where they spend most of their lives in seclusion from one another. In the Baths of Diocletian , their cells were located along the four colonnaded hallways of the Larger Cloister. Very close to the basilica, on the northeast side, a small courtyard of light-coloured stone brick floor can be found - this is the Small Cloister , which is very reminiscent of cloisters in Naples, Florence and other parts of Italy.

This cloister is very simple, with small columns, a stone courtyard floor and a small well in its centre. As shown in the photo above, despite this cloister's simplicity, it is nevertheless quite beautiful. The entire Small Cloister was built above one-third of the ancient Natatio swimming pool area, which is now mostly filled in. However, a small part of the ancient Natatio still exists and can be seen by the public - the photo below shows what remains.

In the photo above, the far left wall is the Small Cloister. The brick walls on the right are part of the basilica - in Roman times, they were covered in marble, and the niches held statues. You can still see some traces of the original marble in the brick where columns and colourful mosaics were affixed. Within the columned corridors of the Small Cloister , various statues are on display.

Until recently, this cloister held famous marble statues and reliefs from the Boncompagni-Ludovisi Collection - an example of a Ludovisi high-relief is shown above. Because of this association with these statues, this cloister is also known as the Ludovisi Cloister. In , the Boncompagni-Ludovisi collection of statues was moved to another part of the National Roman Museum called the Palazzo Altemps.

Besides statues, the cloister also displays historical documents of the Roman Catholic church. Below are photos of Roman statues currently on display within the colonnaded courtyard hallways of the Small Cloister. Each of the four sides of this large space measures metres feet and contains over solid travertine columns supporting arches.

Within these colonnades are around statues, decorative architectural objects, and sarcophagi. The interior of this large cloister is a large green space. Whereas the Small Cloister was built primarily on top of the former Natatio outside pool, the Large Cloister was built over the northern ruins of the Baths of Diocletian and it extends past the northern wall limit of the baths.

You can see why this is considered the largest cloister in Italy. It is very wide, and each of the four sides contains 25 columns supporting arches within the two-storey structure. The broad expanse of grass, trees and plants provides a soothing retreat from the heat and congestion of Rome in summer. It is an oasis of quiet and contemplation in the heart of the bustling city of Rome.

On the left, you can see many ancient Roman sculptures along one of the colonnaded hallways of the Large Cloister. The right side shows the top of the Baths of Diocletian's frigidarium now a church looming above the cloister. The chimney-like structure is part of the Natatio wall facade. The heart of the Large Cloister has a lovely fountain surrounded by trees, hedges, and large statues that combine to create a wonderful garden and refuge.

I am sure the Carthusian monks found this retreat very relaxing and comforting. Tradition says some of the large Cypress trees were planted by Michelangelo in the s while working on the Basilica. If he actually did plant theses trees, they are now over years old. The series of four photos below show some of the fantastical carved-stone animal heads found in the Forum of Trajan.

They are at least 1, years old, and they are so different from typical Roman sculptures. I am sure these wonderful animal statues really delighted Roman children so long ago and probably still do today. Many thanks to both Jamie Heath and Brad Hostetler for all the great photos in this section and for making their work available for educational use.

The image below shows how the Large Cloister extends considerably beyond the ancient walled perimeter surrounding the grounds of the Baths of Diocletian. Left of centre, you can see the outline of an ancient exedra and wall, which show where the ancient boundary was - I have indicated the boundary with yellow hyphens. When building the Large Cloister for the Carthusian monks, the ancient ruins that were in the way were demolished, unfortunately.

You can see how this cloister extends past the northern wall boundary of the former baths. If you visit the Baths of Diocletian , make sure you do not miss seeing this beautiful and large cloister - especially when visiting in the hot and hectic summer in Rome. This place is truly soothing and wonderful on a hot summer day. Also, because the Baths of Diocletian is not a major tourist hot spot, usually you will find fewer people - you can relax and take your time.

And, of course, this cloister has many Roman antiquities on display that are worth seeing. After entering the basilica and proceeding into the main section, turn to the right, and you will see a line of barrier posts arranged at an angle. These posts protect a series of long bronze lines and circles on the floor surface. These floor markings form the Meridian Line , which is a complex and very accurate sundial built in , years after Michelangelo transformed the interior of the baths into a basilica in the early s.

Each day at noon, weather permitting, a ray of sunlight comes through a hole in an upper wall to shine a spot of light on the bronze lines in the floor. The location of this spot of light keeps changing over the course of a year. Basically, the interior of the basilica was turned into a giant Camera Obscura. I show how it all works in my diagram below.

The wall where the hole is located faces southwest towards the Sun moving from east to west during the day.