Visit the Circo Massimo in Rome: the definitive guide

The Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) can be considered the largest performance building of all time. Since the founding of Rome, this was the stadium where games were held: chariot races, equestrian races and public shows linked to the Roman ludi, the Roman religious festivals. According to tradition it was founded by Tarquinius Priscus, fifth king of Rome. The dimensions of the stadium were exceptional, 600 meters long and 200 meters wide and could accommodate up to 300,000 spectators. The Circus Maximus is in a depression in the land, between the panoramic Palatine Hill, overlooked by the most beautiful villas of the emperors, and the Aventine Hill. It is in this valley that the famous rape of the Sabine women took place, on the first games called by Romulus. The last races were held in the 6th century AD. then there was abandonment with the systematic spoliation of the precious marbles that adorned it.

Visit the Circo Massimo is a good starting point to discover the nerve center where the recreational and entertainment life of Ancient Rome took place. The chariot races in the Stadium, the gladiatorial games and the wild beasts in the nearby Colosseum, finishing with recreational and relaxation time in the adjacent and grandiose Baths of Caracalla. We suggest you approach the visit to the Circo Massimo with the right calm and lightness, taking many pauses for contemplation, to experience that time that the ancient Romans dedicated to the latin otium, leisure. A good way to make your life easier on your visit to Rome is the Visit Rome Pass, a single card that will allow you to access more than 50 attractions and have unlimited access to public transport. In a city as large as Rome it can be useful not to have to queue for entrances and to be able to organize all your travel and visits easily.

The Circus Maximus is a large, very elongated oval, although today not much remains apart from a few ruins, the shape is still perfectly designed and with our guide you will easily be able to imagine what it was like. As soon as you arrive, sit on a bench or on the slight slope of the ground and imagine yourself in the time of Ancient Rome. In the center of the stadium there was a small embankment, the so-called spina (thorn). To understand which thorn was, identify the only cypress tree that is there today as a reminder. Two Egyptian obelisks were positioned above the plug. The spina divided the arena into two parts, and the chariots or horses turned around it to complete the 7 laps required for the races.

Around the competition field there were steps from where the public could observe the show, these on the Palatine side were interrupted by the Imperial stage, which was connected to the villas that stood on the slopes of the hill, to make access easier to the imperial families. A huge round of betting developed around the races, in which even the emperors themselves took part. Today the best-preserved remains are found in the south curve near the Circo Massimo tube stop and show the remains of the media cava (the median sector of the steps). The remains of the tabernae, shops where one could buy food or place bets on races, are also visible. Also close to the excavation area stands the Moletta tower, from the medieval period, inside there is a staircase that allows you to reach the top and have a splendid overall view. Visit the Circus Maximus is an obligatory stop that we highly recommend on your tour of Rome.

Visit the Circus Maximus is undoubtedly a fundamental step not only for your discovery and knowledge of Ancient Rome, but also for finding yourself in a place that will awaken your most vivid imagination. The largest stadium in antiquity where the Naumachie (naval battles) also took place, the area of the Circus Maximus was flooded with the nearby waters of the Tiber River and naval combats were simulated.

The famous Ratto delle Sabine  also took place here, Romulus had opened the city to all the neighboring peoples and on a celebration held at the Circus Maximus, taking advantage of the presence of the beautiful Sabine ladies, given the shortage of women there was in those times in the city, the Romans kidnapped almost 700 women. Visit the Circus Maximus is your chance to immerse yourself in history.

The Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) is located close to many places of interest and panoramic points. To name a few, just a short distance away you will find the Baths of Caracalla, one of the largest public spa centers in Ancient Rome, on the Aventine Hill you will be able to admire a splendid panorama of Rome from the orange garden and then look out into the municipal rose garden, not far from there the beautiful and inaccessible garden of the Knights of Malta with its keyhole, which perfectly frames St. Peter's Basilica, while on the side facing the Tiber river you can visit the mythical Mouth of Truth.

Visit the Circus Maximus, therefore, is also an opportunity to discover the fascinating surroundings and what better way than on an electric bike, which allows you to avoid parking problems and not feel tired thanks to the assisted pedaling. Above all, to take advantage of a low-mobility vehicle, noticing all the details that would escape you on another means of transport. The perfect autonomy of your visit is completed by the presence of an audio guide who will lead you to discover everything.

Given its central location, getting to Circo Massimo is very simple, if you travel by public transport of Rome, a few steps away you will find the Circo Massimo Metro stop (Line B), there are also various buses that have stops nearby, such as bus 51, 75, 85, 87, 118, 160, 628 and 715 and many others.

The spacious Circus Maximus is freely accessible, without the need to purchase a ticket. The only archaeological area (in the southern curve) which also includes the entrance to the Moletta tower has a ticketed entrance and is open from 9.00 to 19.00, the closing day is Monday. Once again, we advise you to consider the Visit Rome Pass, a single card that will allow you to simplify your visit to the city of Rome.