Circo Massimo

Historical Building Rome, Italy

Today the Circus Maximus appears only as a vast green area where the Romans train or walk their dogs, in ancient times this oblong lawn was, as its name suggests, the most famous and by far the oldest circus, home to various sports competitions.

The shape and structure of the Circus Maximus changed hand in hand with the consolidation of Rome's importance and the affirmation of chariot racing, one of the greatest passions of the ancient Romans. The first construction of the seventh century BC, the work of Tarquinio Prisco was in wood, but at the height of its splendor, the Circus Maximus must have been completely paved with marble and travertine, with two large Egyptian obelisks placed in the center of the track, one of which , of Ramses II, today stands in Piazza del Popolo, the other of Thutmosi III from Thebes, in Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano. The Circus Maximus was the largest sports facility ever built. Think that it could accommodate almost three hundred and eighty thousand spectators who had free access to the races. The last games were held around 549 AD. In the Middle Ages it became a place of fortifications, then also due to the urban decentralization suffered by this area, the Circus Maximus fell into disuse and a slow and progressive decay began, due to the depredations of marble and stones and a progressive burial, which still today it covers a large part of the building. Today it is home to important shows and concerts.