Circus Maximus
Stand in a flat green valley where twelve four-horse chariots tore through seven laps in front of 150,000 roaring Romans.
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Rome's largest arena, laid out in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine, is now a free public park. The racetrack's long shape is still readable underfoot, though the original surface lies about six meters below the grass.
What to look for
- The medieval fortification tower still standing at the track's curved turn.
- The excavated pit at the eastern end, where seating tiers, the curve, and the central barrier lie exposed several meters below.
- The empty midpoint of the spina where Augustus's obelisk (Rome's first, brought from Heliopolis) stood before Sixtus V moved it to Piazza del Popolo in 1587.
Free public park; sometimes closed during concerts and events.
Circus Maximus is one of 40 sights worth the detour in Rome, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Rome pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Rome
- Vatican CityThe world's smallest sovereign state fits in 44 hectares — you cross its border by stepping over a white line.
- ColosseumAround 50,000 Romans packed this stone oval to watch spectacles staged over a two-level warren of cages beneath the arena floor.
- St. Peter's BasilicaThe world's largest church, built directly over the grave believed to hold St. Peter's bones.
- Sistine ChapelMichelangelo painted the ceiling standing up, not on his back — and cardinals still elect the pope in this room.
- PantheonA 1,900-year-old concrete dome with a hole punched in the top — when it rains in Rome, it rains inside too.
- Stadio OlimpicoOne 70,634-seat bowl, two cross-town tenants: AS Roma and SS Lazio both play here.