Circus of Nero

The Circus of Nero was an ancient Roman circus situated on the Vatican side of the Tiber in Rome, used for chariot racing and public spectacles in the early imperial period and historically associated with events during Nero’s reign. The circus’s footprint lies beneath the modern Vatican area and St. Peter’s Square.

Although almost no above-ground structures survive, the site is archaeologically significant because it is traditionally identified with the place where early Christians, including Saint Peter according to Christian tradition, were martyred. The circus’s obelisk was removed and re-erected in St. Peter’s Square in 1586, where it serves as a visible remnant of the ancient site.

Historically the circus was built in the 1st century AD and used for racing and public spectacles throughout the imperial era; with the decline of the circus tradition and the rise of Christian Rome, the area was repurposed and later built over in the medieval and modern periods. Archaeological work has identified fragments and foundations tied to the circus plan.

The ancient circus occupied the Campus Vaticanus area on the western bank of the Tiber, immediately adjacent to where St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square stand today in the Vatican/Rome complex.

• Obelisk: The obelisk that once stood in the circus was moved to the centre of St. Peter's Square in 1586 and remains a prominent visual marker of the circus's former location.

What to See #

• Circus site and obelisk: The location of the ancient circus itself, now largely overlaid by the Vatican complex and St. Peter's Square where the circus's obelisk now stands.
• Archaeological remains: Archaeological remains and excavated fragments found in and around the Vatican area, identified with the ancient racecourse and associated structures.