Circus Maximus

Visit one of the world’s first major sporting venues

Noteworthy for: Although famed for its chariot races, Circus Maximus also hosted many other lavish public spectacles such as feasts, games and religious festivals.
This is the mother of all race tracks that played host to the thrills and blood spills of chariot racing, an important part of Roman life and a great Roman passion. Circus Maximus (Latin for greatest circus) was developed during 550BC and could hold more than 200,000 spectators. It was a major sporting arena for a thousand years until the sacking of Rome by the Barbarians.

The racetrack is now a park, and is one of the largest recreational areas in the city. It’s still a venue for public spectacles; the Rome leg of the Live 8 concerts was held here, and numerous bands have also played to massive crowds.