sight
Entering this large octagonal space, we are immediately captivated by the architectural lines and the marine procession depicted on the outside of the mosaic. Nereids and Tritons are shown in the water, with a multitude of coloured tiles embellishing their robes and ornaments, such as armilles and necklaces. You almost get the impression that you are the protagonist of a mythical tale. Even the presence of ichthyocentaurs and other sea creatures captivates the eye of the beholder, drawing them into the scene. In the innermost section, on the other hand, again in an atmosphere linked to mythology, a number of herotes are intent on fishing, arranged in pairs, on four brightly coloured boats. Interrupting the fantastic tale are the depictions of changes of clothes, depicted with detailed accuracy in the small apsidal niches.
hearing
Looking into this environment, so rich in history and experience, is so evocative that it seems impossible not to hear the echoes of those who frequented it at the beginning of the 4th century AD. The voices of the high-ranking personalities housed in the niches of the changing rooms, which still occupy the perimeter of the octagonal space, seem to come back to life, mingling with those of the people who were bathing in the two pools on opposite sides. Inside, some were splashing around, others were talking business or resting, lulled by the soothing trickle of the water flowing steadily down from the fountains against the walls. Inexplicably, the mythical scenes depicted in the room’s central mosaic also invite us to immerse ourselves in the marine atmosphere. It is so skilfully described that it evokes the waves of the sea, inhabited by fish and fantastic creatures, to the point where we can hear the lapping of the waves on the rocks occupied by Nereids. The rustle of the nets lifted by the herotes becomes consistent and reaches us through an almost two-thousand-year-old silence…
smell
Among the rooms of the late antique residence, the frigidarium was a place, like others, destined to have an atmosphere imbued with fragrances and essences. Close your eyes and try to imagine the aroma of the spiced wines that used to be mixed in the water inside the two tanks at the time. Beech ash or sand, horsetail powder, olive oil and clay were used for washing, distinguished by their characteristic fragrance.
touch
The first impression given to those entering the frigidarium was that it was a cold space. This was amplified by the presence of ice-cold water and marble-covered pools that kept the temperature constant. Its size, the initial presence of marble cladding on the walls and a possible oculus-shaped opening in the centre of the dome did not allow the room to retain the heat coming from the subsequent warmer paths. What a chill the people must have felt when staying in the frigidarium, further amplified by the coexistence of different stone materials that nevertheless reflected its public use.
