THE CIRCUS AGONALIS / PIAZZA NAVONA (ROME)
The space currently occupied by one of Rome’s most beautiful squares, Piazza Navona, was originally a 275-meter-long stadium commissioned by Emperor Domitian in 80 CE. It is the only known example of a masonry stadium built in the Greco-Roman era, and was the only one in ancient Rome to host Olympic-like gymnastic competitions interspersed with literary and musical contests.