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Archaeological site · Santa Maria Capua Vetere (CE)

Catabulum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere

  • Visit: about 1 h 30 min
Pictured: Santa Maria Capua Vetere · Rico Heil · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized and cropped

Centrally planned Roman building with an octagonal drum and dome, now interpreted as part of a large bath complex.

In the Madonna delle Grazie area stands a building with an unmistakable shape: a square base supporting an octagonal drum topped by a dome. We are fascinated by its compact architecture, which stands out in this sector of ancient Capua.For a long time it was thought to be the baptistery of the city's Constantinian basilica. More recent studies, based on nearby finds, ancient topography and analysis of the plan, suggest instead that it was part of a bath complex, probably public, built in the high imperial age. We recommend looking closely at its structure to imagine the baths it belonged to.

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