Constructed in 212 A.D., the Baths of Caracalla were the largest in the city of Rome. Richly decorated with statuary and mosaics, they remained in use until the sixth century A.D. when the aqueducts that supplied numerous hot and cold water pools were destroyed in the Gothic Wars. The Baths of Caracalla were later pillaged as a source for artworks, colored marbles, columns, and other ready-made architectural materials. The imposing brick walls of the monument today function as backdrops for opera productions.