Virtual reality transports visitors back to ancient baths where Romans wrestled naked

THEY were ransacked by the Visigoths and looted by popes for the building of basilicas, but the original splendour of the Roman Empire’s largest baths complex has been revealed once more thanks to virtual reality technology.

From today, visitors to Rome will be able to use sophisticated virtual reality goggles to unlock the secrets of the monumental Baths of Caracalla, which were constructed in the heart of the capital in the early 3rd century.

Peer through the goggles and the towering brick remains of the baths are transformed into vaulted chambers decorated with coloured mosaic floors, soaring marble columns and statues of muscular gods and nubile nymphs. As you wander around the site, the 3D image changes constantly, revealing twin statues of Hercules, giant marble baths and shimmering swimming pools.

The goggles, which come with the €7 (£6.20) entrance fee, reveal the richlydecorated interiors of atriums and chambers where naked Romans once took part in wrestling, boxing and running races, before rinsing themselves off in the cold water of the frigidarium and relaxing in the hot water of the calidarium.

It was not all sweaty grappling and strenuous weight-lifting; there were two vast libraries, one stocked with Greek texts, the other with Latin.

The virtual reality images are accompanied by an audio commentary which sheds light on the fascinating minutiae of the day-to-day life of the baths.

The digital recreation of the bathing complex, down to fine details such as niches for statues and elaborate mosaics, is based on 30 years of scholarship.

“We went back and forth with the archeologists to make sure we could recreate it exactly as it was,” said Giovanna Barni, the head of Coop Culture, the company that developed the software and goggles.

“This is the first archeological site in Italy, and possibly the world, to be brought alive with this kind of virtual reality technology. We hope it enriches people’s visits.”