Circo Massimo

Between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the valley of the Circus Maximus preserves the long outline of ancient Rome's great chariot-racing venue. The site was about 600 metres long and 140 metres wide, and its scale remains legible in the shape of the valley.

Why it matters

The Circus Maximus was the largest venue for public spectacles in ancient Rome. Chariot races drew enormous crowds and made the competing factions—identified by the colours green, blue, red and white—a powerful part of Roman popular life. Tradition also associates the valley with the story of the Sabine women.

What to notice

The elongated valley preserves the form of the racing circuit and the locations of the starting area and seating. Excavations have revealed parts of the galleries and a paved street lined with shops and taverns that served spectators. The medieval Torre della Moletta survives within the remains, while the ancient obelisk of Constantius II, erected in 357, was later moved to the Lateran.

Context and history

The valley, known in antiquity as the Valle Murcia, was associated with racing from Rome's early history. Julius Caesar gave the Circus its first monumental masonry form, and later rebuilding—especially under Trajan—created much of the arrangement whose traces remain. Races continued until the early sixth century. The site later became pasture and was built over by warehouses, gasworks and housing. Excavations completed in 2016 brought the ancient circuit back into view.