'Time travel' at Caracalla Baths

(ANSA) - Visitors to Rome's famed Baths of Caracalla can as of Wednesday admire its statues, marbles and fountains in their ancient glory thanks to a special 3D visor. It is the first time the technology has been used at an archaeological site in Italy. Now, for example, the waters of the huge Natatio can be seen flowing among precious marbles, columns and capitals and the magnificent roof of the Frigidarium towers over 50 m above the vast space. The gymnasiums where people exercised and the grand colonnades where they met to chat and preen have also been restored. "It gives everyone a chance to make a trip back in time," said superintendent Francesco Prosperetti.
    The initiative, "Caracalla IV dimensione", is the result of painstaking historical and scientific work carried out in partnership between the Rome special superintendent's office and the national research council (CNR) with an investment by Coopculture of 100,000 euros. Initially 30 visors will be available to the visiting public, but the aim is to increase the number before the summer, when visitor numbers swell. Games and digital maps could also be added to the offering in due course. Meanwhile, the project is also due to be extended to the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where visitors will be able to admire the Farnese bull sculpture and other decorative works removed by the Bourbons from Caracalla. The itinerary at the baths is organised into 10 sections allowing visitors to compare the current state of Caracalla and its original appearance. "We think our most important achievement has been to obtain the effect of understanding the ancient structures," CNR expert Francesco Antonucci said. The project has made virtual reality "portable" and uses "sustainable" technology that is easy to manage and use. "I excavated the library in 1987, when technology such as this couldn't even be imagined," said site director Marina Piranomonte. "Now thanks to this work 30 years of study and research become the patrimony of all." Visits with the virtual video guide cost 7 euros on top of the 8 euro entrance fee. Booking is recommended at a cost of 2 euros.