The Baths of Caracalla brought to life with US composer Alvin Curran’s sound installation, Omnia Flumina Romam Ducunt, in a feast for the ears and the mind’s eye.

Inspired by the sounds that would have echoed throughout the Baths during the 3rd century AD, Curran has designed an audio architecture to notes inspired by animals, nature and human voices mixed with contemporary vibes.

The Frigidarium takes on a life of its own to the sound of lions, wolves, horses, nightingales, crows and eagles; here are echoes of running water and the everyday life of the empire, there extracts from the works of contemporary poets and architects. Curran has also added a modern touch to his carefully crafted work, with recordings of Brooklyn Bridge made in the days when its metal grids would “sing” as vehicles went by, plus a medley of electronic music, metallic objects, drums, percussion instruments and a snippet of Demetrio Stratos’s voice, the famous singer from the Area band.
Curran’s vision encompasses architecture of sounds to encourage visitors to imagine their own version of the Baths of Caracalla. A journey into the past to help us hear the future, through the sounds of the world. Sounds diffused from 20 cunningly concealed loudspeakers located at a range of heights; from the highest walls of the Baths to the depths of its outflow pipes, all tracing a new, imaginary world within the Frigidarium.