CIRCO MASSIMO - CIRCUS MAXIMUS
A remarkable historical site in the Murcia Valley in Rome.
The Circo Massimo was a huge monument in the Murcia valley, which separates the Palatine from the Aventine. It dates back to the 7thcentury BC and was built at the behest of the Tarquin kings. It was used for religious festivals and racing competitions between bigues and quadrigas (up to 240 days a year, according to some accounts). The structure, originally made of wood, was rebuilt in brick and marble under the emperors Claudius and Trajan. The space, 600 m long and 140 m wide, could accommodate up to 250,000 Romans! During the Empire, from Augustus onwards, the Circus Maximus became a grandiose setting. In the center, a median strip, the spina, delimited the inner edge of the tracks, with an obelisk in the middle, which today stands in St. John Lateran. On the Palatine, the emperor's palace and tribune dominated the ensemble. The last spectacle was offered to the Romans by Totila in 549. The Circo Massimo underwent an eight-year restoration program, completed in December 2016, enabling a whole section of the site to be rediscovered. However, very little remains on site.
The Circo Massimo Experience, an augmented reality tour, allows visitors to discover the evolution of the site throughout its history. Equipped with an immersive headset and earphones, it's an eight-stage journey back in time, during which you can stroll through the ancient Roman stores or watch a quadriga race! Available in eight languages, including French.
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