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Work on Diocletian's baths was started in 298 A.D., and finished between 305 and 306 A.D. and the completed structure covered an area of 376 x 361 meters. 

The model for its plan and above all its orientation was Trajan's thermal baths complex, which had been the first to abandon the tradition of a north/south axis in favor of a south-west/north-east arrangement, in order to take most advantage of the optimum exposure as far as solar energy was concerned.  This helio-thermical orientation meant that the Calidarium, the hot-water bath, faced south west and thus extracted the maximum benefit from the mid-day sun, while the Frigidarium, or cold-water pool, looked north east and was therefore heated as little as possible by the sun.  Despite the attention paid to the tapping of natural resources, which allowed great savings in fuel, huge furnaces and boilers were nonetheless necessary to heat the Calidarium, as well as a sophisticated arrangement of heating ducts, made out of insulated materials, hidden behind the walls leading from subterranean furnaces to the baths above.

A block away from the dome of the church, you can see the extent of the baths, the thick walls, and
the pits which housed the furnaces, stoked by slaves to keep the temperature of the waters constant.

To think that these walls were constructed over 1,705 years ago, and today they still stand, as good as new.

As we left the baths of Diocletian, there was one more church that Pete had his sights set on.  It was that of Saint Teresa.

From her book "Life of St. Teresa" (Chapter XXIX), the following excerpt tells an interesting story.

Our Lord was pleased that I should sometimes have the following vision: I saw an angel very near me, on my left side, in a corporeal form, which is not usual with me; for though angels are often represented to me, yet it is without my seeing them, except by that kind of vision of which I have already spoken.  But in this vision, our Lord was pleased I should see the angel in this form.  He was not tall, but rather little, and very beautiful; his face was so inflamed, that he seemed to be one of those glorious spirits who appear to be all on fire (with divine love).  He might be one of those who are called Seraphim, for they do not tell their names; but I see clearly, that in heaven there is so great a difference between some angels and others, that I am not able to express it.  I saw that he had a long golden dart in his hand, and at the point there seemed to me to be a little fire: I thought that he pierced my heart with this dart several times, and in such a manner that it went through my very bowels; and when he drew it out, it seemed as if my bowels came with it and I remained wholly inflamed with a great love of God.  The pain thereof was so intense, that it forced deep groans from me; but the sweetness which this extreme pain caused in me was so excessive, that there was no desiring to be free from it; nor is the soul then content with anything less than God.  This is not a corporal but a spiritual pain, though the body does not fail to participate a little in it, yea, a great deal.  It is so delightful an intercourse between soul and God, that I beseech His goodness to give some taste of it to him who may imagine I do not tell the truth.


During the time I was in this state, I went up and down like one transported; I wished neither to see nor to speak, but only to be consumed by my pain, which was a greater happiness for me than any that can be found in creatures.  In this state I continued some time, when our Lord was pleased I should fall into such great raptures, that I was not able to resist them even in the presence of secular persons; and so, to my great grief, they began to be public.  But from the time I began to have these raptures, I have not felt this pain so much as that other of which I spoke before, though I cannot call to mind the particular chapter.  But that pain is different in many respects, and more valuable than this; then, it seems, as if our Lord forcibly carries away the soul, and puts her in an ecstasy, so that there is no room for feeling any pain, because the enjoyment comes immediately.  May He be blessed forever, who bestows such high favors on one who corresponds so little with such great benefits.


Now I cannot pretend that I understand even a little of what St. Teresa writes of her life, but the above writing is a passage from that story which is given to tourists to read, perhaps as a means of convincing them of something.  I can only suggest that if the works that have been created inside of this church, dedicated to her, are symbolic of her life, then perhaps there is more meaning in her writings than I was able to discern.  I suspect that one would have to read the entire book, as anything taken out of context is certainly open to interpretation.

On our way home we decided to stop for a glass of wine, some ceviche, and a bit of bread, to hold us over until dinner time.  The ceviche was unusual, and very good, and the Pinot Grigio was excellent. 

And each evening when we walked home to our B&B, we walked down this colonnade, with the fascinating mosaic tile walkway which I liked so much.  It was my clue that we were almost home, and I could sit down and relax after a long day of being a tourist in Rome.

This is our last day in Rome, at least for this trip.  In the morning we leave for the Termini Train Station for our trip to the port of Civitivecchia.  It is about a one hour and forty-five minute trip and it cost 14 Euros each.  We could have purchased a transfer to the port from Rome with Celebrity, but it would have cost us $90 U.S. dollars each.  Ouch!  There are always horror stories to cause you worries.  One was that once we reached the end of the line in Civitivecchia, there may not be any taxis available to take you to the ship, and that would have been a major inconvenience, but the reality was that we shared a taxi with two guys from Wisconsin, and that was even without a wait.  Sometimes you've just got to go with your gut.