Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus is the elongated hollow between the Palatine and Aventine hills where ancient Rome staged its chariot races. At roughly 600 metres long and 140 metres wide, it was the largest entertainment venue of antiquity. Pliny the Elder records a capacity of 250,000 spectators, which would make it the largest sports arena ever built. The races between the four factions Blue, Green, White and Red were Rome's actual mass spectacle, far more popular than the gladiator games in the Colosseum. Chariot racing continued here until the 6th century; afterwards the site was quarried and later used as a market. Today only the basic outline of the track survives, without tribunes, but the characteristic oval is clearly readable. Visitors can walk the full length of the track, look up at the Palatine ruins on the southeast side and grasp the sheer scale. In summer the grounds host open-air concerts.