Alle terme di Caracalla i romani giocavano a palla...
What do you call a group of trigon players in a hot bathtub? A super bowl!
You might have already heard of the Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla, in Italian) — they used to be Rome’s second largest public baths1, built in the first quarter of the 3rd century AD, as their construction began under the reign of emperor Septimius Severus (unrelated to Severus Snipe) and was completed under that of his elder son, emperor Caracalla2.
I like to think of emperor Caracalla as the father of jus soli (“law of the soil”, i.e. citizenship based on the belonging to a territory) as per his Constitutio Antoniniana (aka Edict of Caracalla) every free man and woman living in the Roman Empire was given Roman citizenship. We don't have that in Italy nowadays, which is shameful if you ask me.
Anyway, the Baths of Caracalla are one of Rome's most spectacular archeological sites, and last week the special superintendent for cultural affairs in Rome, Daniela Porro, unveiled Lo Specchio (the mirror), a large pool measuring 42 metres by 32 metres (138 feet by 105 feet for those of you who stubbornly still measure lengths with the ends of your lower limbs), designed by Hannes Peer and Paolo Bornello, that indeed mirrors the surrounding ruins, in an attempt to “recreate the spirit of the site”, claiming that the pool is “a symbol of reconnection with the ancient world”.
Honestly, I hate it when people go all philosophical as they try to illustrate architecture — oftentimes it means its design can't speak for itself… but this is not the case, as the result is indeed a pleasant interaction between the contemporary design of the pool, with water jets and spotlights and everything, and the archeological site.
A stage can be installed over the pool for artistic performances of all kinds, and in fact it will be inaugurated this Saturday, 13th April 2024, with a new ballet set to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
The Baths of Caracalla are (also) the place where the summer season productions of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma are usually held: Caracalla Festival 2024 will first and foremost commemorate and celebrate Giacomo Puccini on the centenary of his death with two new productions of Tosca and Turandot. Moreover, there will be ballet and dance productions, pop music concerts, operatic concerts, jazz music, cinema… it's going to be wonderful!
There's an old song about Terme di Caracalla which ends with a reference to opera being now sung there…
Tutta la storia romana vicina e lontana mi par di sognar, se fra i ruderi che son lì da millenni, la notte e il dì io mi metto a fantasticare così... Alle Terme di Caracalla i romani giocavano a palla, dopo il bagno verso le tre, tira tira a me, che la tiro a te, o con le mani o coi pie'. Alle Terme di Caracalla forse i pesci venivano a galla, ogni notte verso le tre, tira tira a me, che la tiro a te, poi si pescavan da sé. Poi ripenso agli Orazi e Curiazi, ai guerrieri che non ci son più, a Poppea, a Nerone, ai patrizi, ma non so Caracalla chi fu... Alle Terme di Caracalla i romani giocavano a palla, dopo il bagno verso le tre tira tira a me, che la tiro a te, e poi gridavano olé! (dopo il bagno verso le tre tira tira a me, che la tiro a te... ... ogni notte verso le tre chi la tira a me, chi la tira a te...) Oggigiorno però a Caracalla: “Una furtiva lacrima” nella notte si sente cantar. “Una voce poco fa” come un’eco risponde alla folla. “Chi mi frena in tal momento” Caracalla si mette a gridar... Alle Terme di Caracalla, alla notte la luna è già bella, al ritorno cantiamo insiem caro, caro ben, caro, caro ben, sempre felici sarem. Sempre felici sarem... Olé!
…but why does the song also babbles on about ancient Romans playing ball in the baths3?
Because that's a true story: ancient Romans used to play ball games too — one of them being called trigon, and yes, that correctly might remind you of trigonometry (which is Greek for let's measure stuff through triangles) because they were positioned in a triangular formation, vehemently launching balls against each other… and they indeed used to play that either in the baths or in a nearby playground.
So yes, alle terme di Caracalla i romani indeed giocavano a palla!
P.s.: it's pronounced TREE-gone, not TRY-gone…
✨Meanwhile, elsewhere…✨
Speaking of balls — of rice balls, to be precise —, here's Sofia Fabiani /
teaching you how to make probably the most popular street food in Rome, SOOPPLEE AT THE TELEPHONE (supplì al telefono,4 better known just as supplì):Si iù léita allighéita!5 🐊
The largest ones were the Baths of Diocletian.
Real name: Lucius Septimius Bassianus, then Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, born in Lugdunum, which you might know as today’s Lyon — yes, that very one in France.
“Alle terme di Caracalla i romani giocavano a palla” literally means “Romans used to play ball in the baths of Caracalla”…
“al telefono” refers to the mozzarella cheese melting and becoming stringy, thus resembling a telephone cord.
This is how “see you later alligator” should be spelled according to Italian pronunciation of letters… 😅
sto col dito sul sito di ticket one...😍😍😍
I love your posts, they are so much fun...and I always learn something new. Thank you for sharing!