The Baths of Diocletian and a visit to the exhibition

The Viminal is one of the seven hills of ancient Rome, its name recalling the willow (vimen) that once grew on its slopes. Diocletian built his baths here between 298 and 305 CE, on the site where the Vicus Longus ended, between the Viminal and the Quirinal. In 1561, at the request of Pope Pius IV, Michelangelo converted the tepidarium of the Baths into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

This guided visit explored the surviving remains of the Baths of Diocletian, now part of the Museo Nazionale Romano, together with the monumental cloisters the Carthusian monks built over the imperial ruins. It also took in the exhibition Roads of Arabia, tracing the development of the Arabian peninsula across the centuries, though not the museum’s permanent collection.

Practical details

• When: Saturday 21 December 2019, meeting at 7.50pm
• Where: Museo Nazionale Romano – Terme di Diocleziano, Viale Enrico De Nicola 79, Rome
• Duration: about 2 hours
• Cost: guided tour €10 adults / €5 children 5–13, plus a special evening museum ticket of €5 (instead of €10); headset rental €2 for groups over 20
• Organised by: Roma Caput Tour

Cultural Heritage Online lists this guided visit for reference; it was organised by Roma Caput Tour.