Circus Maximus

Overview

Lying perfectly in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the Circus Maximus is a wildly vast, elongated grassy park spanning an incredible 600 metres. It was the absolute largest sporting stadium ever built in human history.

Highlights

• The Scale: Stand at one end and look straight down the valley. Try to comprehend that this massive space once contained a towering track capable of holding up to 250,000 screaming Romans.
• The Palatine Ruins: Look directly upwards to the massive, sprawling, soaring brick ruins of the Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill looming directly over the track.
• The Spina: You can still see the slight raised mound running down the very center, marking the barrier (spina) the chariots wildly raced around.

History

Dating back to the 6th century BC under Rome's early kings, it functioned as the city's primary venue for massive, incredibly dangerous chariot racing (Ludi Romani). At its imperial peak, the stands were three stories high, draped in marble and gold. The very last chariot race was unbelievably held here in 549 AD, over a thousand years after it was built.

Visitor Tips

• Imagination Needed: Very little ancient stone remains visible above ground; you are looking essentially at the massive geographic footprint. Use the impressive VR walking tours offered at the south end to see what it looked like.
• Evening Walks: It is a massively popular, fantastic place for a sunset walk or joining locals for a run on the ancient dirt track.
• : 20–30 minutes.