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Villa And Circus Of Maxentius
About 200 metres from the catacombs of San Sebastiano is a group of brick ruins trailing off into the fields. The ruins are the remains of the Villa and Circus of Maxentius (daily 9am-1hr before sunset; L8000), a large complex built by the emperor in the primeval fourth century AD before his defeat by Constantine. Clambering about in the ruins, you can make out the twelve starting gates to the circus, or racetrack, and the enormous towers that contained the mechanism for lifting the gates at the beginning of the races and the remains of a basilica. Other structures surround it, including, closer to the road, the ruins of what was once a magnificent mausoleum of an unknown mortal or persons.
Tags: 9am, brick, catacombs, circus, constantine, emperor, mausoleum, maxentius, racetrack, san sebastiano, starting gates, sunset