It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals - but there was much more to the Circus Maximus than we ever expected.
A six-year restoration has revealed secrets hidden beneath the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops.
And now anyone can see the site for themselves with a section of the famous 2,500-year-old entertainment venue in Rome officially opened to the public today.
'The biggest shopping mall in antiquity': Rome's 2,500-year-old Circus Maximus had launderettes, bars, brothels and betting shops
Maria Letizia Buonfiglio and a team from the Sovrintendenza di Roma Capitale restored the ancient ruins
A section of the famous 2,500-year-old theatre in Rome has been officially opened to the public today
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals
The excavation will be open every day until December 11 and, after that, opening hours will be on weekends
By Associated Press and Abigail Beall For Mailonline
17 November 2016
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals - but there was much more to the Circus Maximus than we ever expected.
A six-year restoration has revealed secrets hidden beneath the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops.
And now anyone can see the site for themselves with a section of the famous 2,500-year-old entertainment venue in Rome officially opened to the public today.
Years of excavations have given Rome a new tourist attraction in the open-air archeological ruin that for centuries has been a vast muddy field. Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences
Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences.
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals.
Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in AD 64 under the reign of Emperor Nero.
The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD.
The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there.
Now the public can wander the ruins and see ancient latrines, chunks of what was once a triumphal arch honouring the Emperor Titus and learn about a winning horse that ran on the oval track.
The seven-year project also revealed surprising facts about the ruins.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation, told The Times.
She called it 'a forerunner of modern football stadiums that pack in shops and restaurants to make money.'
There were brothels and betting shops, where Romans placed wagers on the kind of chariot races memorably portrayed in the 1959 film Ben Hur.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, she said, adding that racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes.
Passageways and corridors, with latrines supplied with running water from a nearby aqueduct, provided access to the ancient world's entertainment complex.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, and racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals. Artist's impression of the Circus Maximus is pictured. Races between the Reds, Whites, Greens and Blues thrilled the crowds of a population that, in the words of the satirical poet Juvenal, needed only 'bread and circuses' to keep them happy
A seven-year restoration has revealed the darker secrets of the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops. The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there
A woman walks in the ancient ruins. Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 64 AD under the reign of Emperor Nero. The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' said Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation
The team found gold jewellery, hundreds of bronze coins and a glass race-winner's cup with a gold engraving depicting a horse with a palm branch in its mouth.
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, was the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolising victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below.
Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's top official for archaeology, said Numitor the horse will become the logo for Circus Maximus.
The Circus Maximus is found in Rome, near the Colosseum (shown on map) A section of the famous 2,500-year-old theatre in Rome has been officially opened to the public today
Ancient stones are seen at the Circus Maximus reopened to the public after restoration
The image is the only documentation found so far of the horses involved in the ancient entertainment.
The goblet's precious fragment, along with some of the 1,000 bronze coins that were dug up, will eventually find a home in a museum.
Excavated areas of the ruins include the outside upper tiers, where the rank-and-file entertainment-goers once cheered wild animal hunts or charioteers, whipping around a low stone wall that ran down the centre of the oval track.
Also visible is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth.
The excavation helped archaeologists understand the various reconstructions that the Circus Maximus underwent, including one after its wooden timbers helped feed the great fire in Rome during Nero's reign in 64 AD.
Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi (L) stands at a window of the Medieval Torre della Moletta during a press preview of the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, is the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolizing victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below (pictured)
Also visible is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth
Shown here is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth
Visitors can climb inside a restored 12th-century tower for a commanding view down the 2,000ft (600m) long field, capturing the imposing dome of Rome's main synagogue in their sights
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33ft (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end. The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem
A general view of the Circus Maximus in Rome , which sits in a valley between the ancient Palatine and Aventine Hills
Visitors can climb inside a restored 12th-century tower for a commanding view down the 2,000-foot (600m) long field, capturing the imposing dome of Rome's main synagogue in their sights.
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33-foot (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end.
The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem.
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters.
Only the northwest part of the original circus has been restored with the bulk of it still underground, said Dr Buonfiglio, who hopes it all might see the light again one day.
Circus Maximus' excavation will be open every day until December 11.
After that, opening hours will be reserved for weekends, although visitors can call City Hall to make an appointment to see it on weekdays.
WHAT THEY FOUND
A team from Rome's Roma Capitale spent six years restoring the ancient ruins.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' said Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, who oversaw the renovation.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day.
The team found gold jewellery, hundreds of bronze coins and a glass race-winner's cup with a gold engraving depicting a horse with a palm branch in its mouth.
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, was the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch in its mouth and the name Numitor below.
THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS: THE ANCIENT WORLD'S ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences.
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals.
Races between the Reds, Whites, Greens and Blues thrilled the crowds of a population that, in the words of the satirical poet Juvenal, needed only 'bread and circuses' to keep them happy.
There were betting shops, where Romans placed wagers on the kind of chariot races memorably portrayed in the 1959 film Ben Hur.
Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 64 AD under the reign of Emperor Nero.
The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation.
She called it 'a forerunner of modern football stadiums that pack in shops and restaurants to make money.'
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, she said, adding that racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes.
Passageways and corridors, with latrines supplied with running water from a nearby aqueduct, provided access to the ancient world's entertainment complex.
The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there.
There were betting shops, where Romans placed wagers on the kind of chariot races memorably portrayed in the 1959 film Ben Hur. Still of the 2016 remake of the film, pictured
THE TRIUMPHAL ARCH
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33-foot (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end. The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem.
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters.
NUMITOR THE ''LUCKY" HORSE
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, is the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolizing victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below.
Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's top official for archaeology, said Numitor the horse will become the logo for Circus Maximus.
Dr Buonfiglio said the image is the only documentation found so far of the horses involved in the ancient entertainment.
Circus Maximus' excavation will be open every day until December 11. After that, opening hours will be reserved for weekends, although visitors can call City Hall to make an appointment to see it on weekdays
The excavation helped archaeologists understand the various reconstructions that the Circus Maximus underwent, including one after its wooden timbers helped feed the great fire in Rome during Nero's reign in 64 A.D
A person visits the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi at a press preview of the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters
A six-year restoration has revealed secrets hidden beneath the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops.
And now anyone can see the site for themselves with a section of the famous 2,500-year-old entertainment venue in Rome officially opened to the public today.
'The biggest shopping mall in antiquity': Rome's 2,500-year-old Circus Maximus had launderettes, bars, brothels and betting shops
Maria Letizia Buonfiglio and a team from the Sovrintendenza di Roma Capitale restored the ancient ruins
A section of the famous 2,500-year-old theatre in Rome has been officially opened to the public today
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals
The excavation will be open every day until December 11 and, after that, opening hours will be on weekends
By Associated Press and Abigail Beall For Mailonline
17 November 2016
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals - but there was much more to the Circus Maximus than we ever expected.
A six-year restoration has revealed secrets hidden beneath the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops.
And now anyone can see the site for themselves with a section of the famous 2,500-year-old entertainment venue in Rome officially opened to the public today.
Years of excavations have given Rome a new tourist attraction in the open-air archeological ruin that for centuries has been a vast muddy field. Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences
Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences.
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals.
Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in AD 64 under the reign of Emperor Nero.
The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD.
The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there.
Now the public can wander the ruins and see ancient latrines, chunks of what was once a triumphal arch honouring the Emperor Titus and learn about a winning horse that ran on the oval track.
The seven-year project also revealed surprising facts about the ruins.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation, told The Times.
She called it 'a forerunner of modern football stadiums that pack in shops and restaurants to make money.'
There were brothels and betting shops, where Romans placed wagers on the kind of chariot races memorably portrayed in the 1959 film Ben Hur.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, she said, adding that racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes.
Passageways and corridors, with latrines supplied with running water from a nearby aqueduct, provided access to the ancient world's entertainment complex.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, and racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals. Artist's impression of the Circus Maximus is pictured. Races between the Reds, Whites, Greens and Blues thrilled the crowds of a population that, in the words of the satirical poet Juvenal, needed only 'bread and circuses' to keep them happy
A seven-year restoration has revealed the darker secrets of the ancient ruins, including brothels, bars and betting shops. The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there
A woman walks in the ancient ruins. Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 64 AD under the reign of Emperor Nero. The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' said Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation
The team found gold jewellery, hundreds of bronze coins and a glass race-winner's cup with a gold engraving depicting a horse with a palm branch in its mouth.
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, was the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolising victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below.
Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's top official for archaeology, said Numitor the horse will become the logo for Circus Maximus.
The Circus Maximus is found in Rome, near the Colosseum (shown on map) A section of the famous 2,500-year-old theatre in Rome has been officially opened to the public today
Ancient stones are seen at the Circus Maximus reopened to the public after restoration
The image is the only documentation found so far of the horses involved in the ancient entertainment.
The goblet's precious fragment, along with some of the 1,000 bronze coins that were dug up, will eventually find a home in a museum.
Excavated areas of the ruins include the outside upper tiers, where the rank-and-file entertainment-goers once cheered wild animal hunts or charioteers, whipping around a low stone wall that ran down the centre of the oval track.
Also visible is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth.
The excavation helped archaeologists understand the various reconstructions that the Circus Maximus underwent, including one after its wooden timbers helped feed the great fire in Rome during Nero's reign in 64 AD.
Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi (L) stands at a window of the Medieval Torre della Moletta during a press preview of the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, is the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolizing victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below (pictured)
Also visible is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth
Shown here is a latrine once used by spectators. An explanatory panel, in Italian and English, tells how urine was collected via pipes in ancient Roman times to be used to launder cloth
Visitors can climb inside a restored 12th-century tower for a commanding view down the 2,000ft (600m) long field, capturing the imposing dome of Rome's main synagogue in their sights
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33ft (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end. The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem
A general view of the Circus Maximus in Rome , which sits in a valley between the ancient Palatine and Aventine Hills
Visitors can climb inside a restored 12th-century tower for a commanding view down the 2,000-foot (600m) long field, capturing the imposing dome of Rome's main synagogue in their sights.
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33-foot (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end.
The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem.
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters.
Only the northwest part of the original circus has been restored with the bulk of it still underground, said Dr Buonfiglio, who hopes it all might see the light again one day.
Circus Maximus' excavation will be open every day until December 11.
After that, opening hours will be reserved for weekends, although visitors can call City Hall to make an appointment to see it on weekdays.
WHAT THEY FOUND
A team from Rome's Roma Capitale spent six years restoring the ancient ruins.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' said Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, who oversaw the renovation.
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day.
The team found gold jewellery, hundreds of bronze coins and a glass race-winner's cup with a gold engraving depicting a horse with a palm branch in its mouth.
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, was the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch in its mouth and the name Numitor below.
THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS: THE ANCIENT WORLD'S ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Some 2,000 ft (600m) long and 460 ft (140m) wide, the Circus Maximus was a place where the elite of ancient Rome came to relax, mingle with the masses and put aside political differences.
It once drew crowds of more than 300,000 to watch chariot races, animal hunts and religious festivals.
Races between the Reds, Whites, Greens and Blues thrilled the crowds of a population that, in the words of the satirical poet Juvenal, needed only 'bread and circuses' to keep them happy.
There were betting shops, where Romans placed wagers on the kind of chariot races memorably portrayed in the 1959 film Ben Hur.
Much of the Circus Maximus was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 64 AD under the reign of Emperor Nero.
The complex had to be rebuilt by Emperor Trajan, who inaugurated it with a series of spectacular public games in 103 AD.
'What we excavated proves that the Circus Maximus was the biggest shopping mall in antiquity,' Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist who oversaw the renovation.
She called it 'a forerunner of modern football stadiums that pack in shops and restaurants to make money.'
Sixty shops once ran down each side the stadium, serving the thousands of people who came every day, she said, adding that racegoers could even use laundrettes where urine was used to clean clothes.
Passageways and corridors, with latrines supplied with running water from a nearby aqueduct, provided access to the ancient world's entertainment complex.
The last race in the Circus Maximus was held in 549 AD, almost a millennium after the first races were held there.
THE TRIUMPHAL ARCH
At the foot of the tower are excavated chunks of what was once the 33-foot (10m) high Triumphal Arch of Titus at the field's the south end. The arch, fashioned from Carrara marble, was built to honour the emperor's conquest of Jerusalem.
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters.
NUMITOR THE ''LUCKY" HORSE
Decorating the bottom of an excavated glass goblet, the only fragment found of the vessel, is the gold figure of a proudly prancing horse, with a palm branch symbolizing victory in its mouth and the name Numitor emblazoned below.
Claudio Parisi Presicce, Rome's top official for archaeology, said Numitor the horse will become the logo for Circus Maximus.
Dr Buonfiglio said the image is the only documentation found so far of the horses involved in the ancient entertainment.
Circus Maximus' excavation will be open every day until December 11. After that, opening hours will be reserved for weekends, although visitors can call City Hall to make an appointment to see it on weekdays
The excavation helped archaeologists understand the various reconstructions that the Circus Maximus underwent, including one after its wooden timbers helped feed the great fire in Rome during Nero's reign in 64 A.D
A person visits the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi at a press preview of the ancient Circus Maximus archaeological site after its restoration and its opening to the public
Thanks to a written record left by an anonymous pilgrim in the 9th-century, when the arch still stood, experts were able to make sense of fragments they discovered of the arch's inscription in bronze letters
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