Roman Circus of Mérida, Extremadura, Spain
4.0 (666 reviews) Spent Ranking #12 in Province of Badajoz Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Very well recovered
It just occurred to me, after visiting 2 ancient Roman Circuses, that our present day horse tracks were probably closely modeled after the Roman Circus. The distance around the circuses averaged about 1 mile and the Kentucky Derby is about 1 1/2 miles. This particular circus shows the extensive planning, in first digging a huge trench across the breadth to create a drainage system. Also, this particular circus recovered the ancient starting gate pylons. Supposedly, this one had 12 starting gates each measuring about 10 feet across. I think the starting gates for the Kentucky Derby are much more narrow than this, probably half the width. It’s a nice job of archaeological recovery!
Address
Avenida de Juan Carlos I s/n, 06800 Merida Spain
Mobile
Website
http://www.turismomerida.org/que-ver/circo-romano
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 9:22
User Ratings
4.0 based on (666 reviews)
Reviews
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5John F 5:00 PM Oct 11, 2022
Learn more about chariot racing!
It’s simply the immense size of this that makes it so impressive. You can walk in and around while information boards and an interpretation centre provide a lot of information about the structure and how it was used. Think of the chariot race in Ben Hur, and then double that image at least. Visit the Roman Aquaduct, across the road, at the same time. Price included in the Combined ticket
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3KrisD_pl 5:00 PM Jan 5, 2020
Former place of chariot races
Built around year 20 BC. 400 metres long, 30 metres wide it held up to 30 thousand spectators for chariot racing. One of the best preserved examples of the Roman circus. There's a good exhibition inside the building at the entrance.
