Baths of Caracalla, Rome
Must-SeeThe most impressive bath ruins in Rome — once held 1,600 bathers. Summer opera performances in the ruins. The mosaics and scale are overwhelming.
Baths of Diocletian, Rome
Must-SeeThe largest Roman baths ever built — now houses the National Roman Museum. Michelangelo converted the frigidarium into a church (Santa Maria degli Angeli).
Suburban Baths, Herculaneum
Must-SeeThe best-preserved Roman baths — complete with original marble benches, frescoes, and plumbing. More intimate than Pompeii.
Forum Baths, Pompeii
Must-SeeStucco ceilings, terracotta athletes, and the cold/warm/hot room sequence perfectly preserved.
Catania Roman Baths
Must-SeeHidden beneath the modern city — underground ruins accessible via a small museum. A secret Roman world below the streets.
Where to start
Italy has the world's greatest concentration of roman baths. Use this guide to find the masterpieces — then let yourself be surprised by what you discover on your own.