Visiting the Stadium of Domitian
The Stadium of Domitian is all about Roman history.
The Stadium of Domitian tells one of the most remarkable stories of ancient Rome and its transformation over the centuries.
The Stadium of Domitian turned out to be one of the best small museums we visited during our trip to Rome. I was a bit skeptical, though Lucie felt the museum looked too interesting to skip. Either way, we did not go to the Stadium of Domitian with big expectations, which was probably the main reason we enjoyed this little gem so much.
Interestingly, after nearly two millennia since Emperor Domitian built it, very little of the stadium has remained. And what is left is now hidden below ground. Well, not every part, since a small portion in the square's northwest corner was uncovered, and a small museum was opened directly on that site.
Since we stayed less than 100 meters from Piazza Navona, we walked past the Stadium of Domitian many times, whether we were heading to Castel Sant'Angelo or St. Peter's Basilica. Each time, Lucie mentioned that we should visit this little museum. Eventually, we did, and this guide includes everything we saw there, along with a few helpful tips for a smooth visit. Let's dive into it.
The audio guide really added to the experience.
Getting to the Stadium of Domitian
The Stadium of Domitian is located at Piazza Navona, but that is not completely correct, because the remains of the stadium are actually under this famous square. The place we stayed in was about 400 meters from the museum, so the only thing we had to do was take a nice stroll across the beautiful square to get there. A bus stop, Senato, sits on Piazza delle Cinque Lune, the street side of Piazza Navona's northeast corner.
The Stadium of Domitian sits in the northwest corner of Piazza Navona.
We found the entrance to the Stadium of Domitian not on Piazza Navona itself, but in its northwest corner, precisely on Via di Tor Sanguigna. This is a street, and also a small square with the same name, located just behind the Navona square.
Tickets to the Stadium of Domitian
After we walked down the stairs from the main street, we arrived at the museum's ticket office. There, we found out that the entry fee to the Stadium of Domitian was €11 and came with an audioguide, which was a nice perk. In hindsight, I think the museum could have been slightly cheaper, but with the audio guide included, the price still seemed relatively reasonable.
The upside was that there really wasn't any need to book tickets in advance, as there wasn't any line, even in the still very busy season during September. They sell their tickets through their website, and also have tickets on GetYourGuide, which, though, would only be worth it if they had a discount on them.
A preserved arch inside the Stadium of Domitian.
They also had slightly pricier Exclusive Tours that cost €16, and along with the regular tour, they provided entry to a separate part of the Stadium of Domitian that was recently restored. Since we did not choose that option, we really cannot say whether spending the extra €5 to see another area was worth it or not.
Before heading into the Stadium of Domitian, it was really cool that we could already see one of the arches from Via di Tor Sanguigna below us. Of course, it was not quite the same as standing down there, but it was still a pretty interesting look at the ruins. And from up here, the view was free.
Exploring the Stadium of Domitian
Once we picked up the audio guide, we used another staircase and moved into the museum area. Before going all the way down, we stopped at the first audio station and began the audio tour (in English). The audio guide itself was a simple handheld device with a speaker, so we did not need earphones. And unlike in the Vatican Museums, I had no issues with the volume and could hear the commentary clearly.
One of the audio guide stations in the Stadium of Domitian.
Navigating the museum was really easy, since we just followed the numbered stations. The museum area was very small, so there was no chance of getting lost or accidentally skipping a station. We have visited the Capitoline Museums, which were huge, and it made for a funny comparison with this site, since this place was basically a single hall.
After pausing at each station and hearing the narrated commentary, we also checked the information panels throughout the museum that gave additional context. It was a nice way to learn more about the stadium, as well as about Domitian, ancient Rome, and several other Roman emperors.
History of the Stadium of Domitian
The Stadium of Domitian, built in 86 CE, was designed as a Greek-style athletics venue in Rome, with dimensions of roughly 275 meters in length and 106 meters in width. Its architecture included a rectangular arena ending in a semi-circle, and the impressive exterior facade displayed two stacked arcades of arches and columns.
This panel shows that we were standing 5 meters below today's street level.
The most fascinating detail we learned about the Stadium of Domitian was the one I already gave away earlier in this guide. To reach its original entrance, we had to descend nearly five meters below street level. Yep, five meters, that's not a typo! The info panel with graphics showing how the stadium gradually became a square through the centuries was absolutely mind-blowing. After seeing this, I'd definitely love to see how this place will look in another 2000 years.
Another really interesting point was how the newer structures on Piazza Navona copied the stadium's outline from 2000 years ago, and how the city once considered building a major road through it, but instead chose to bypass it along Corso del Rinascimento. That was a good decision, since Piazza Navona is gorgeous without traffic cutting through.
The shape of Piazza Navona still shows the curve of the ancient Stadium of Domitian.
Some arches, corridors, and staircases built with brick and travertine walls were still preserved, and we could actually view them inside the museum. However, in that respect, there wasn't a ton to see, at least compared to some other sites like the Baths of Diocletian. But the more fascinating aspect was the way the stadium's foundations and exterior arcades were absorbed into later Renaissance and Baroque palaces and churches around the square.
The biggest difference between the Stadium of Domitian and the Circus Maximus was the purpose they served. The stadium hosted athletic competitions, while the Circus Maximus was built for chariot racing. Size was another key difference. The Stadium of Domitian could fit about 15,000 to 20,000 spectators, while the Circus Maximus was enormous and could hold around 200,000 to 300,000 people.
Emperor Domitian
Another really interesting detail we learned here was about Domitian, the last emperor of the Flavian dynasty, who ruled Rome from 81 CE to 96 CE. He ruled firmly, improved the economy, and supervised major building efforts such as this stadium, the Palace of Domitian in the Roman Forum, and the completion of the Colosseum. This made him well-liked by the army and common citizens, but not by the wealthy senatorial class.
Damnatio memoriae did not happen just to Domitian, but also to other famous Roman emperors like Nero and Caligula.
Because of this, his authoritarian style and increasing paranoia ended with his assassination, after which the Senate carried out a damnatio memoriae (condemnation of his memory). This meant erasing his name from official records and monuments, something that happened to about half of the Roman emperors. It greatly affected how he was seen in ancient times and how he is interpreted by modern historians.
Virtual Reality at the Stadium of Domitian
The Stadium of Domitian also had a virtual reality experience, although it was not included in the regular ticket price. And even though it sounded pretty interesting, we chose to pass on it. The museum provided so much information about the stadium that we honestly did not see any reason to spend extra on that type of experience.
It wasn't the only spot offering VR experiences. We also saw them at the Baths of Caracalla and the Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella along Via Appia.
We skipped the VR experience since it wasn't part of the ticket price.
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Opening Hours of the Stadium of Domitian
The Stadium of Domitian is open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM. We got there a little before noon, and as we said earlier, the museum was pretty quiet at that time. The late closing hour is definitely a big advantage, because you can plan the visit for the end of the day or simply choose last-minute if you want to go in.
We were still able to see parts of the Stadium of Domitian's ruins from the street, even after the museum had closed.
How Much Time Did We Spend at the Stadium of Domitian
While buying our tickets, we asked how long people usually spend exploring the Stadium of Domitian, and the clerk mentioned it normally takes about an hour. That sounded just right, as it was close to noon and we still wanted to see Trajan's Market in the afternoon and squeeze in a short break at our hotel. Being so close to Navona Square had many perks, and this was certainly one of the biggest.
The Stadium of Domitian is fairly small, so you can get through it in roughly an hour.
The Stadium of Domitian ended up being more engaging than we had thought, and we went through every info panel and listened to all the audio stations. By the time we left, we had spent around 90 minutes in the museum. It could certainly be done faster, but since it was so quiet, we had no reason to hurry and really appreciated the peacefulness the museum offered.
The Stadium of Domitian Was Without Tourists
Even though the history and everything around it were really fascinating, both Lucie and I really liked how quiet it was down below. Piazza Navona was packed in the late morning, and the nearby Piazza di Tor Sanguigna, right by the museum entrance, was also very busy since it was a main spot for taxis in the area.
It was really cool to see people from the Stadium of Domitian museum walking on the street five meters above us.
But five meters below the surface, there were just a few visitors. In terms of tourist numbers at the Roman Forum or Borghese Gallery, this site was like an oasis of peace.
The interesting part was that the museum was not completely silent, since it was not fully covered, and many sounds from the traffic above came through. I would say this was the only thing I did not like, as it was a little disruptive, but I also enjoyed the view from above, so I can see why they left it uncovered.
Is the Stadium of Domitian Worth It?
While the Stadium of Domitian was not exactly one of Rome's must-see attractions for us, the museum turned out to be fairly interesting. Beyond the information about the stadium's purpose and history and the biography of Emperor Domitian, it also provided a fantastic explanation of how ancient Rome changed throughout the Middle Ages.
Since we had eight days in Rome, we could afford to explore some of these smaller museums and get a bit off the usual tourist path. The Stadium of Domitian was definitely a pleasant surprise, but we would recommend it mainly to someone with plenty of time in Rome or who is really into archeological stuff. It was not as captivating as the city's major sites, like the Colosseum or the Pantheon.
The Stadium of Domitian was one of the smallest museums we visited in Rome.
Since we were staying basically just around the corner, it was great that we could reach the Stadium of Domitian in under five minutes. Piazza Navona was stunning, and we also visited the beautiful Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Agone and the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. So, if you're looking for a place to stay in this area, we have a few tips. Hotel Navona was a wonderful place to stay, and nearby options like Palazzo Navona Hotel and Hotel Damaso also looked excellent.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
