Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus

The Rome audio-guided tour takes you to the Circus Maximus, the largest arena of ancient Rome, where the famous chariot races took place.

The largest arena of Rome

One must use imagination, for there remains today only a vast expanse of grass. But imagine here a gigantic arena about six hundred metres long and nearly two hundred metres wide, able to hold an immense crowd come to attend the chariot races. Its name, Circo Massimo, does not refer to any emperor, but to the Latin maximus, the largest: it is indeed the largest spectacle building of ancient Rome and one of the vastest sporting enclosures ever built. Legend traces its creation to around 600 before Jesus Christ, under the reign of Tarquin the Elder, one of the legendary kings of Rome; the place is said to have previously hosted the first Roman games, already including equestrian races. For centuries, the Circus Maximus was the heart of the popular entertainments of the city.

What there is to see

The Circus Maximus presents itself today as a vast green esplanade, where the imagination reconstitutes the largest arena of Rome and its chariot races. The place offers a beautiful perspective over the Palatine and the Aventine. It is a stage to feel the scale of the entertainments of ancient Rome, become a space for walking and events.

Practical information

The Circus Maximus is between the Palatine hill and the Aventine, in Rome. A vast open-air esplanade, it can be walked freely at all hours; developed archaeological spaces may have their own hours, to be checked on site.

Where does the name Circus Maximus come from?

From the Latin maximus, the largest: it was the largest arena and the largest spectacle building of ancient Rome.

What took place there?

Mainly chariot races, before an immense crowd, in the largest stadium of ancient Rome.