'Plessi to Caracalla. Il segreto del tempo', until September 29
The Baths of Caracalla are one of the main attractions of the Italian capital, since it is the most luxurious resort in the entire Roman Empire , only surpassed in size by the Baths of Diocletian.
Like many other places in Rome, the bowels of this place house a series of underground tunnels as much or more interesting than its surface and now, a new sector of those passageways has just opened with the sample Plessi in Caracalla. The secret of time.
Fabrizio Plesi he is one of the most important artists in the field of video art and this is demonstrated in this exhibition, curated by Alberto Fiz and with music by Michael Nyman.
Water and fire, main and recurring elements in Plessi's work
A TRAVEL IN THE TIME
With this new project, Plessi pays homage to the history of Rome through more than 200 meters of tunnels under the Baths of Caracalla, a section hitherto hidden from the public and an example of the high technological level reached by the Roman Empire.
After an arduous restoration work , Plessi in Caracalla. The secret of time has seen the light, resulting in twelve video installations inspired by the baths , located under the exedra of the calidarium, in the heart of the plant.
On the way we can cross furnaces, boilers and warehouses of this great underground artery, beginning with the great virtual book that begins the visit: a catalog with moving images of the history of Plessi.
Past and present in a tunnel
AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
In video installations there are four main elements: water, fire, wind and lightning; that merge with technology, composing a universe that perfectly combines past and present.
In the succession of images we can see the baths, the mosaics, the columns, the amphorae, a marble tunic moved by the wind and, even, to the Emperor Caracalla.
In addition, Plessi pays tribute to the author Giambattista Piranesi, which in the mid-eighteenth century contributed to the rediscovery of this archaeological landscape.
Ready to discover one of the secrets hidden under Roman soil?
REVEALED THE 'TECHNOLOGICAL HEART' OF THE SPRINGS
“For the first time the "technological heart" of the Baths of Caracalla will be revealed, a part of the underground hitherto unknown to the public , where you can see the rooms under the caldarium, where the ovens and boilers that gave hot water and steam to the tanks were located, and the saunas were lined up,” he explains. Marina Piranomonte, director of the monument.
“In none of the great Roman baths, water, heating and storage systems they are as well preserved as in Caracalla”, continues explaining the director.
the subways, preserved for about six kilometers , are a labyrinth of vehicular tunnels (6 meters high x 6 meters wide) that extend under the building, where all the wood deposits are located, a mill, the Mithraeum, the heating system, the water system , as well as a dense network of small tunnels that were used to lay lead pipes and manage the supply and distribution of water.
The exhibition can be visited Until the 29th of September 2019. From 9 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. until August 31, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. between September 1 and 29, and on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A journey into the bowels of the Roman Empire