Information Technologies and Culture: Ancient hippodrome recreated in virtual reality

New technologies allowed to revive the largest hippodrome of ancient Rome.

The Circus Maximus is located almost in the centre of Rome. Now there is a large extended field instead of the magnificent structure of the past. There are also remains of ancient stone viewing stands around the periphery. Its length is 600 meters, and its width is 140. The hippodrome could house about 250 thousand spectators. It is thought that the first chariot races took place here around 500 BC. A 40-minute virtual walk provides the history of this place from early Roman settlements to the XIX century.

"This technology promotes recreating the past, and we decided to do this with an all-time monument - the Circus Maximus. Together with our scientists and technical specialists, we tried to restore the hippodrome as precisely as possible to show the importance of this monument", said Maria Letizia Buonfiglio, the archaeologist and project curator.