Diving into the Past: Maximian's Hidden Baths Beneath Modern-Day Rome

Beneath the modern triumph of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, remnants of ancient Rome lurk, quiet witnesses to the city's vibrant past. One such relic is the Baths of Maximian, hidden under the current day streets of Rome. Built between AD 298 and 306, these imperial baths were a grand present from Emperor Maximian to the residents of the Viminal, Quirinal, and Esquiline districts. The Baths once stood where the Quadrigae Pisonis once stood, a monument that, in turn, was erected over the ruins of yet another monument. These Baths drew their water from the Aqua Marcia and, possibly, the Aqua Antoniniana. Today, we can still catch a glimpse of this ancient marvel hidden beneath the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, a 16th-century architectural marvel.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons