Circo Romano, Milan

The Roman Circus of Milan was an ancient circus in the Roman city of Mediolanum, today's Milan. The building, which measured 470 meters in length and 85 meters in width, was the largest Roman circus built during the era of Diocletian's Tetrarchy. Few Roman cities could boast of owning a circus, as it was a symbol of great economic power, given the cost of maintaining such a large structure and horses, and military power. In northern Italy, besides Milan, only Aquileia owned a circus. The Roman circus in Milan was mainly used for sporting contests on horseback, driven by both chariots and quadrigas, and exceptionally for gladiator fights.

The Roman circus of Milan was built at the behest of Emperor Maximian between the 3rd and 4th centuries on the bed of the Nirone stream at the time when Mediolanum was the capital of the Western Roman Empire. The circus was probably destroyed in April 1162 when Frederick I Barbarossa besieged and razed Milan, intimidated by the power the city had gained during the 11th century.

The circus occupied an area roughly between modern-day Corso Magenta, Via del Torchio, Via Brisa, Via Cappuccio, Via Circo, and Via Morigi. Of the original construction, parts of the foundations of the bleachers have been preserved, discovered in some cellars on Via Brisa and Via Morigi, and some masonry remnants on Via Circo and Via Vigna, isolated from neighboring buildings and visible from inside the courtyard of modern buildings. The best-preserved part of the structure is one of the two lateral towers of the carceres, or chariot departure gates, which has come down to us practically intact having later become the bell tower of the church of St. Maurice at the Major Monastery.