Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Rome. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Rome Rome guide
About Circus Maximus
The ancient world's largest entertainment venue, 250,000 capacity, where chariot races thundered for a thousand years, now a public park in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills.
The Circus Maximus is the largest ancient sports venue ever built and the largest structure in the Roman world after aqueducts. Located in the Murcia valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the circus operated continuously from approximately the 6th century BC until the 6th century AD, over a thousand years of chariot racing.
At its largest extent under Trajan, the track measured 621 metres long and 118 metres wide, with a central median (spina) around which twelve chariots at a time would race for seven laps. The wooden stands were gradually replaced with stone and concrete seating that could accommodate an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 spectators, the largest crowd ever assembled anywhere in the ancient world.
The race track hosted not only chariot races but also athletics, circus performances, and triumphal processions. Julius Caesar significantly expanded the venue; Augustus installed an Egyptian obelisk on the spina (now in Piazza del Popolo). Today only the grass depression of the original track survives, used as a public park and occasional concert venue.
Did you know? The Circus Maximus could hold more spectators than any stadium ever built, up to 250,000 in Trajan's era, roughly equivalent to filling Wembley Stadium three times over.
How long is a visit to Circus Maximus?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Circus Maximus. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Circus Maximus worth your time?
Circus Maximus is among the 47 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Rome, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Rome
Hear the story of Circus Maximus
Preview the Rome tour free in the Gingerguide app.