Circus Maximus

Today a long green lawn, the Maximus Racecourse was once a large venue for recreational sports for the inhabitants of the ancient capital. Stand in the middle of this sprawling park and imagine the chariots galloping across the track.

Legend has it that Maximus Racecourse was built in the late 7th or 6th century BC. Initially, most of the building was made of wood and accommodated about 145,000 people. During the rule of Julius Caesar, the stands were replaced with stone materials to prevent fires and the stadium was enlarged and expanded. The track had a length of up to 600 meters and the total number of seats had increased to about 200,000 to 300,000, making this circuit much larger in size than most stadiums today.

This 100-meter-wide oval racetrack has long since disappeared and is now covered with green grass, yet you can still easily imagine the horse-drawn carriages whizzing by at breakneck speed. Contrasting with the past, the park today offers a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Local families and children often come here to relax, have a picnic or play games. You can stroll under the bright sun, recline in the shade of the verdant foliage and admire the surroundings.

Stroll around the park to see the ancient memorial that still stands today. This memorial was once used to mark the first wheel placed on the track. Continue past the memorial and you will come to a small section of the old stadium. This is all that remains of the original construction, so you'll have to imagine what it looked like when a quarter of the Roman population came here to relax.

Maximus Racecourse is located just south of the city center between the Palatine and the Aventine Hills, so you can easily combine a visit here with a trip to Palatine Hill, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Take the metro to Circo Massimo station or catch a bus. Visiting time is not restricted and visitors do not have to pay an entrance fee.