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Circus Maximus was the place to watch chariot races (as well as religious processions). It was the model for the famous scene in Ben-Hur, and was supposed to be able to hold 250-300 thousand people! Today there is not much left (at least at ground level - just as everywhere else in Rome, the level of toppled material, fill, and garbage has raise the ground to the point that most of what is left of the structure is buried beneath the surface. But the people of the city still use it for entertainment: it has been used as a concert venue, a celebration point (as in after Italy's World Cup victory in 2006), or just for a pick up game of soccer. |
