Roman monuments: the Circus Maximus in Rome, the largest stadium in history
The Circus Maximus of Rome (or rather what remains) is the largest stadium in history, the largest man-made structure for performances. It was located between the Aventine and the Palatine Hill, and had a capacity of 300,000 spectators. Let’s go and discover all the secrets.
Its sandy track, 600 meters long and 225 meters wide, made it the largest stadium in Rome, larger than the Circus Flaminio and the Circus of Maxentius. Legend has it that here, right in the valley, the mythical episode of the rape of the Sabine women took place on the occasion of the games organized by Romulus in honor of the god Consus.
Around the circus it was adorned with magnificent arcades, and had two rows of seats.
Inside there was a long, wide wall, called Spina, around which chariot races were disputed. Above there were two obelisks, and some temples.
The spine was richly decorated with statues, aedicules and temples and there were seven eggs and seven dolphins from which water gushed, used to count the laps of the race.
The twelve carceres, the starting structure that was located on the short straight side towards the Tiber, arranged obliquely to allow alignment at the start, were equipped with a mechanism that allowed simultaneous opening.
On the south side there is currently a medieval tower called “della Moletta” which belonged to the Frangipane.
The first wooden installations date back to the time of Tarquinio Prisco, in the first half of the sixth century BC.
The construction of the first permanent facilities dates back to 329 BC, when the first carceres were built. The first masonry structures, especially related to equipment for competitions, were probably only in the second century BC. and it was Gaius Julius Caesar who built the first masonry seats and gave the building its final shape, starting from 46 BC.
The Circus Maximus was enlarged and adorned by Julius Caesar, and then by Augustus. After being burned in the Neronian fire, it was rebuilt larger and more beautiful by Domitian and by Trajan. In this gigantic stadium various competitions and competitions were held, such as chariot, chariot and chariot races: the participants had to make seven laps around the Circus Maximus. The competitors, who competed in small horse-drawn carriages, were playing for much more than a prize: they were slaves fighting for their freedom.
Si realizzavano anche sfilate equestri, rappresentazioni di battaglie, o corse a piedi, che duravano varie ore. Intorno a queste competizioni ruotavano ricche scommesse. Vi si disputavano, inoltre, anche le naumachiae (battaglie navali): l’arena del Circo Massimo veniva inondata con le acque del Tevere e venivano simulati combattimenti navali (navalia proelia) durante i quali due opposte squadre (composte da gladiatori o da prigionieri di guerra condannati a morte) si affrontavano riportando alla memoria indimenticabili battaglie avvenute per mare.
Oggi restano piccole tracce di ciò che un tempo fu il Circo Massimo e si può osservare soltanto l’enorme spalto che conserva la forma del recinto. Si intravedono comunque chiare la forma e la grandezza che questo edificio doveva avere in epoca romana: una enorme area rettangolare con un lato breve a semicerchio e nel suo centro, la spina.
The Circus remained in business until the first decades of the 6th century. Later it was used as an agricultural area, then from the nineteenth century, it became the seat of the Gazometro plants, and warehouses, factories, artisan businesses and even homes were set up, until the early 1900s, when work on the archaeological walk was started.
