Circus Maximus: one more star in the Ancient Rome 3D-verse

The Italian capital is increasingly leaning on virtual reality as the new tourism frontier

The ancient Circus Maximus in Rome has come back to life thanks to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tours offered to visitors. Aware that the tech-savvy contemporary tourists demand more in terms of experiences, the Italian capital now offers a variety of such experiences, which allows to upgrade and enliven the ruins of Antiquity.

That is especially important in the case of Circus Maximus, the imperial-era grounds where horse chart races were taking place. Capturing that energy and excitement is now possible thanks to digital innovations, such as the VR headset.

For the first time, you can see all the historical periods of the venue

Visitors can experience the roars of the crowds at the races that once packed the 600-m long venue or mingle among the Roman market sellers and marvel at the Arch of Titus in its original 20-m height.

What’s more, the journey through history is not limited only to the Antiquity period. It allows the viewers to experience how the stadium has changed throughout the following centuries until today. This gives us a better perspective on history and the passage of time.

The eight stops include: the valley floor of the Circus Maximus during the Archaic Period, from the first century BC to the first century AD, the Imperial period, the tiered seating arena (cavea), the Arch of Titus, the shops (tabernae), the Circus Maximus during the Middle Ages and in modern times and lastly, “A Day at the Circus”.

At each stage of the route, the visitor must position himself at the marked points. The multimedia devices are sanitized for each use, bagged and left in storage for at least 24 hours. The single-packaged earphones are for single use only.

The overall tour lasts 40 minutes and is not available when raining, or on Mondays. Otherwise, you can enjoy it from Tuesday till Sunday in eight languages. The price of the entry ticket is 12 euros, with a family rate of 22 euros.