Baiae: Fascinating Ruins of a Roman Resort Near Naples

the partially submerged ruins of Punta Epitaffio in the Golf of Pozzuoli

PBS is airing Nero's Sunken City, Baiae as part of its Secrets of the Dead series, on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 10 pm EST.  For more information go to: www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/




Baiae (now called Baia) is a fascinating area west of Naples in Pozzuoli Bay. I have visited this region numerous times, staying in the area. However, it is an easy twenty minutes from Naples to visit Baia's Archaeological Park, the 15th century Castle of Baia and to go on a glass bottom boat or a scuba trip to see exciting underwater ruins. In addition, there are other places nearby that also offer Roman ruins and gorgeous views. 

statue in the so-called Sosandra temple, first a villa then later a hotel

Baia was where wealthy Romans went to play. It became a resort town in late Republican times with many Romans building luxurious villas on the coast seeking relaxation away from Rome. Remembered for its decadence, the city is now halfway submerged under water due to bradyism. Bradyism is a volcanic phenomenon that has caused the water to rise submerging most of the ancient city under water.

However, the upper part of the city of Baia remains above water and can be seen by visiting the Baia Archaeological Park. This site is a wonderful place to visit because there are no tourists, a nice change from popular spots like Pompeii. It is a fairly large area located on a hillside so allow at least two hours and wear sturdy walking shoes. 

the domed Roman bath, still intact

The warm water pool was part of an extensive Roman bath complex located here. It was mistakenly thought to be a temple to Mercury. During medieval times it was called the temple of Echoes. Today it is one of the most interesting buildings to see at Baia. It still holds water today, but who knows what sea life lies beneath its murky surface. 

the so-called temple to Mercury, outside view 

ancient ceiling decoration

Roman mosaic floor

view of Baia's Archaeological Park

I also recommend visiting the 15th century Castle of Baia (also known as the Argonese Castle), which houses the Campi Flegrei (Burning Fields) Archaeological Museum, a collection of artifacts from Baia and the surrounding area. The Castle is allegedly the former location of a huge villa owned by Julius Caesar.

the harbor and Baia Castle

Water surrounds this part of Italy on three sides in most places. There are mountains and sulfur pools (where Vergil's hell was located), as well as two lakes, Lake Averno and Lake Fusaro. The volcanic activity in the area is significant and includes a new mountain, the Monte Nuovo. In fact, the entire area is known as a supervolcano and consists of 24 craters located underwater. 

Beyond Baia, the ruins in the area are numerous, from Cumae where the famous Sybil had her cave, to Pozzuoli with its Flavian amphitheater, to Posillipo where Vedius Pollio's villa is located, where he reputedly fed errant slaves to his eels. This intriguing area is just waiting to be explored and enjoyed!

the Villa Ambulatio

the so-called Temple to Diana - its name is based on the marble statues of deer and dogs found there

Julius Caesar, the Ides of March and Largo Argentina

Temple B at Largo Argentina

The Ides of March is still remembered today, the day Julius Caesar was murdered. This murder is reported by literary sources as happening in the Senate House. The curious thing is that the senate didn't just meet in the official Senate House. The location of where the senate met on that fateful of Ides of March 44 BCE, is open for view any time of the day or night in the center of Rome at Largo Argentina, behind so-called Temple B. Specifically, if you want to see the place of Julius Caesar's murder, go to Via Torre Argentina and stand with your back toward the Teatro Argentina. Look down and spot the remnants of the Roman latrine located here. No, Julius Caesar wasn't murdered in the latrine, but a floor above it. However, these two levels have collapsed into one in the ruins behind Temple B, the very outer edge of Pompey's theater.

remains of an ancient latrine

On March 15, 2015 a reenactment of Julius Caesar's murder was performed at Temple A in Largo Argentina as close as possible to the area behind temple B. For the video of the reenactment click here.

I am fortunate to know the ruins at Largo Argentina because I spent three weeks working on measuring and drawing one of the columns of Temple A in order to document it and help detangle the layers of history associated with this temple. The project I was participating in is through the American Academy in Rome's Summer Archaeology Program, called Documentation and Analysis of Ancient Buildings, led by Stephan Zink and Jens Pflug. It is offered every other summer.

Temple A at Largo Argentina

The so-called Temple A is one of four Republican-era temples in Largo Argentina along with part of the Theater of Pompey, a private Roman house and the public latrine. This site has many different time periods built on top of one another since the area was raised in with fill at least twice. The reasons for raising the ground level here has do with flooding from the Tiber and it is known that the entire area was raised after the fire of 64 CE.

Column with original base, bricks used to raise the level and Imperial remains are white marble

Italian archaeologist Giacomo Boni worked on excavating the site in the late 1800s. However, since his notes on the site cannot be deciphered, many questions remain about the four temples, including each temple's name. The most famous find from the site was found in 1925 near temple B - a massive head of a goddess. This head is on view at the Centrale Montemartini museum, Via Ostiense 106.

Joanna Mundy working on measuring and documenting Temple A

The Republican-era remains of Temple A were my favorite part, located underneath the temple in its basement. It was exciting putting on a hard hat and going underneath the temple. It was cold and damp with a stagnant smell. Amazingly, once in the lower level of the temple, there are three original temple steps that I was able to walk up to the original podium of the temple where the ancient altar still sits, covered in old moss. When I saw the ancient altar,  there was a scorpion on it. It seemed very appropriate.

Temple A's original altar

the scorpion on the altar

Today, Largo Argentina is a huge square lined with a large bookstore, the wonderful Feltrinelli's, which has a good English language book section, a multitude of cafes, a fantastic place to get pizza by the slice, banks and shops. The large archaeological pit containing the four temples fills the middle of the square, with Temple A on the far north side of the site where once the church of St. Nicholas stood, its asp still visible. The Torre di Papito, a medieval tower that dates from the 12th century still remains on the south end of the site.

Me and the column (to the right) that I worked on at Temple A

If you like cats, make sure to take the steps down to the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary to see the cats that live in the ruins. You can also check them out online at www.romancats.com/torreargentina/en/introduction.php.

For more details look at Amanda Claridge's Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome, pages 215-219, and Filippo Coarelli's Rome and Environs: An Archaeological Guide, pages 275-281. For more information on the web, see http://www.livescience.com/23900-julius-caesar-assassination-place-discovered.html