A New Photography Exhibition In Rome Should Not Be Missed
A new photography exhibition in Rome on display at the Baths of Caracalla celebrates 35 of the most important photographers of the current and last centuries.
As a sequel to last year’s photography exhibition that celebrated the works of Letizia Battaglia, this year the Baths of Caracalla in Rome are host to a new photographic exhibition that includes the works of 35 amazing international photographers which include some of the most interesting subjects of the 20th and 21st centuries. The theme of the exhibit builds on the recent creation of a body of water at the Baths of Caracalla that gives a contemporary dimension to the ancient baths.
Exhibit: Narcissus. Photography in the Mirror
The title of the exhibit is: Narcissus. Photography in the Mirror, which in Italian is: Narciso. La fotografia allo specchio. If you are not familiar with Narcissus, in Greek mythology, he was a hunter known for his beauty and according to Ovid, he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. The exhibit includes references and themes related to reflection, water and mirrors that recreate the myth in a modern setting.
According to Nunzio Giustozzi, Curator of the exhibition:
“The visitor will be able to move between portraits of celebrities, enigmatic interiors and tranches of life captured over time at different latitudes; dual illusions brought together by harmony or contrast in a story aimed, beyond the occasion, at history of every single image, subjects and motifs that have continued to inspire authors even very distant chronologically and in their trajectories or poetics”
Nunzio Giustozzi
Who Are The Photographers In The Exhibition?
The exhibition’s theme of the double, of the mirror, of mirroring and mirroring oneself, symbolized by Narcissus, is timeless. The exhibit presents this theme through the shots of the great photographers of the twentieth century, including:
| Simon Annand | Eve Arnold | Gian Paolo Barbieri | Cecil Beaton | Ilse Bing |
| Claude Cahun | Robert Capa | Lisetta Carmi | Mat Collishaw | Bruce Davidson |
| Robert Doisneau | Alfred Eisenstaedt | Burt Glinn | Guido Harari | Florence Henri |
| Frank Horvat | David James | Richard Kalvar | Astrid Kirchner | Hiroji Kubota |
| Herbert List | Giorgio Lotti | Fabio Lovino | René Maltête | Fosco Maraini |
| Simone Martinetto | Duane Michals | Inge Morath | Philippe Morillon | Helmut Newton |
| Guido Rey | Steve Schapiro | Ferdinando Scianna | Jeanloup Sieff | Wanda Wulz |
When Is The Photography Exhibition?
This fantastic exhibition already started on May 15, 2024 and will continue until November 3, 2024. The show includes 78 shots divided into 3 sections, with the two smaller sections held in covered spaces and the largest filling the open space of the ancient, but non-existent swimming pool (natatio).
How Do I Get To The Baths Of Caracalla?
If you are in Rome, or planning on coming, you will probably be spending time in the historical center of the city. The Baths of Caracalla are close to the Circus Maximus and can be reached by nearby:
- Trams – The 3L tram will bring you to the Aventino/Circo Massimo stop with a 10 minute walk.
- Buses – The #714 bus will drop you off at the Terme Caracalla stop with a 5 minute walk.
- Subway – The Metro B can bring you to the Circo Massimo stop with an additional 10 minute walk to the baths.
Photography Exhibition Rome Tickets
Starting from the 1st of May, ticketing for the Baths of Caracalla is managed by the Ministry of Culture’s Italian Museums e-ticketing platform (Musei Italiani del Ministero della Cultura). Tickets can be purchased:
- Online on the Italian Museums website
- With the Musei Italiani app on your phone.
- From the kiosks positioned at the entrance to the site. If it isn’t clear, the friendly people working the ticket booth (Biglietti) were very helpful.
FYI, the tickets purchased online from the website or on the app do not need to be printed but can be saved on your phone and shown at the entrance to the site.
The Ticket Prices For The Photography Exhibit
The cost of the ticket remains unchanged from previous years:
- Full Price: €13 (includes the additional €5 surcharge for the exhibition)
- Reduced Price: €7 (includes the additional €5 surcharge for the exhibition) available for young people between 18 and 25 years old.
- Free: for children under 18, ICOM members and all other benefits provided by law.
What Are The Baths Of Caracalla?
The Rome Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla) is a complex of public baths that were built in Rome around 217 AD and continued to be in use until around 530 AD. The architecture of the baths, and in particular the frigidarium, was influential and had a significant impact on many other buildings, like the Baths of Diocletian, Pennsylvania Station in New York City and Chicago’s Union Station.
Art At The Baths of Caracalla
The baths were originally ornamented with quality sculptures and of all the antique baths in Rome, the Baths of Caracalla were found to have contained the most lavish assortment of statues. Many were destroyed in the Middle Ages to make lime under the orders of Pope Paul III Farnese.
Some art was taken from the Bath and moved to other parts of Rome. For example, two granite basins from the Baths of Caracalla were repurposed as a fountain in the Piazza Farnese. This was included in a post: “Ancient Roman Fountains That You May Have Overlooked.”
Another important artistic treasure at the Baths are the summer opera performances. The summer season of Rome’s Opera House returned to its historic venue at the Baths of Caracalla in 2022. The open-air opera festival took place at the Terme di Caracalla from 1937 until 2020, but COVID forced the Opera to move to Circus Maximus when it was determined to be more compatible with Italy’s covid social distancing rules.
More Great Roman Summer Vacation Ideas
If you enjoyed this information about a great photography exhibition in Rome at the Baths of Caracalla, here are some additional posts that I think you will enjoy:
- Check Out Caracalla, One Of The Ancient Roman Baths In Rome.
- A Rome Photography Exhibition At The Baths Of Caracalla.
- The Thermal Baths Of Diocletian In Rome Shouldn’t Be Missed.
- The Centrale Montemartini Museum Is A Great Art Collection In Rome.
- The Madonna di Loreto (Caravaggio) Doesn’t Travel At All.
- Santa Maria del Popolo Caravaggio Paintings Inspire All.
- Caravaggio Paintings In Rome At Waiting For You At Church.
- The Well Known Statues By Bernini In Rome Are Amazing!
