After well over a thousand years, the fabled Circus Maximus is open to the public again. There won’t be any of the fabled chariot races, a la Ben Hur, or marches or executions, but visitors will be able to wander in part of the stadium, as well as the brothels, taverns and shops that were built in below the seats.
Well, newest to be visitable, and certainly one of the oldest in origin: The fabled Circus Maximus, scene of the sort of chariot races seen in movies like Ben Hur, and also a venue for triumphal marches and executions, is open to the public for the first time in well over a thousand years.
The huge arena, as long as 6 football files and 150 yards wide, dwarfs the nearby Colosseum, which is nearby and was used for many similar events. After the last games at the Circus in the 6th century, it fell into disuse and was mined for its marble and stone. By the 19th-century it was an industrial slum, and was cleared by Mussolini to create a space for fascist parades.
There are plans to continue the excavation and open more of the area to the public.
