One can easily be seduced by the irresistible charm of Italy. Robust red, and crisp white wines, rainbow-coloured gelato in a dizzying assortment of flavours, foods to wake up your taste buds. Magnificent fountains, Renaissance and Baroque style buildings and golden sunshine – what’s not to love?
The ever-changing cinematic scenery of the countryside alternates between gentle rolling green hills dotted with sheep, to soaring snow-capped mountains then back to hillsides with cascading ribbons of olive trees and grape vines. Emerald-green lakes, crystal clear rivers and streams will have you pulling off the road to drink in the beauty of it all.
With no shortage of medieval towns and hilltop villages, one could easily become lost in the unique stories and history of each as you wander along the winding cobbled streets and lanes. There are copious numbers of discoveries here. However, where I found buried treasure was not in the countryside, but instead it was unearthed within the ancient city walls.
The “Eternal City” of Rome with its wealth of beauty, grace, and style, continues to uncover ancient history. On a pre-COVID trip to Rome, I stumbled upon the first and only masonry stadium in Roman history, 4.5 metres directly beneath the unique and elongated shape of Piazza Navona. As one of the most recognizable squares in the world, located within the beating heart of Rome, and where millions of visitors’ flock annually, very few people including the Romans who live there are aware of the existence of “Stadium of Domitian” beneath their feet.
Opened to the public in 2014 and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, discovery of Stadium of Domitian happened in 1936 during demolition of houses at the north end of Piazza Navona. Numerous remains of the curved portion of the stadium were discovered, while other remains were found in cellars and basements of palaces also located in Piazza Navona.
Reinforced during renovations and having been sheltered for centuries, the remains are in remarkably good condition. Many fragments of sculpted marble statues were found and believed to be Roman copies of original Greek statues. Indications point toward the belief that marble statues of emperors and gods posed in niches along the corridors as adornments. A well-preserved marble torso of the Greek statue of Apollo is one such piece, now proudly displayed in the underground museum.
Inaugurated in 86 AD, Stadium of Domitian (once a 30,000-seat stadium, 275-metres long, 106-metres wide, and 18-metres high) was used primarily as a sports arena until the fourth century. Always believing statues of nude athletes were sculpted in this manner to show the strong muscles and lean bodies, it might surprise you to know they were sculpted nude because that’s how they competed. Women were not permitted to attend the games for this reason.
Spectators gathered to watch various competitions, such as foot races on a dirt track, discus (bronze, lead, or stone weighing 1-6 kilos), javelin (made of wood or bronze), and long jump. Combative competitions consisted of wrestling, with no time limit, boxing with gloves made of leather strips, and pankration. Pankration, considered the most brutal of all, is best described as a combined technique of boxing and wrestling. Any and all blows were permitted, including bone fractures, limb twisting, and contortion. A raised arm with an open hand indicated surrender.
Emperor Domitian, a great enthusiast of Greek culture, wanted to give the Romans an eternal structure for these competitions. Other arenas were constructed of wood then covered with plaster, whereas his stadium was constructed entirely of brick. During Medieval times, the arena was used to train and race horses but during the heyday of Stadium of Domitian, it was used exclusively for sports. To the Emperor’s dismay, these competitions were under-appreciated by the people. Romans preferred the more brutal Gladiator-style competitions held at the Colosseum. When Stadium of Domitian ended as an athletic centre, the area continued as a vital neighbourhood until the end of the 5th to early 6th century.
At some point between the 8th and 10th century, a deep deposit of soil was brought in to raise the ground floor level. More deposits believed to be caused by the flooding of the Tiber River essentially buried the now ancient stadium. By the end of the Middle Ages, new construction began to emerge above the buried stadium and a new floor was constructed over the central area. Homes, shops, and other services opened and once again the area flourished.
National churches, hostels, and hospitals for pilgrims and foreigners began to spring up around the perimeter of the central area. Many builders used the stadiums’ (now buried) seating areas and other supporting structures as basements or foundations. With the central area being paved in brick in 1485, a weekly market was born. This new market contributed to the social life as well as the economy of Rome.
Construction of many new buildings followed at the request of several prominent families, which greatly contributed to the increased economic importance of this area. During the 17th century, a palace (currently the Brazilian Embassy) was built facing the square, and Piazza Navona began to take shape. The famous artist Bernini sculpted the Fountain of Four Rivers in 1651, so named for the four major rivers known at that time – Danube, Ganges, Nile, and Rio de la Plata. The Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone (“in Agone” is a term used to refer to Piazza Navona during medieval times) – considered to be a masterpiece of Roman Baroque architecture – was built by famous artists Borromini, Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi.
With the disappearance of the stadium, the name of this area also vanished. The area became known as Campus Agonis, then changed to Innagonis, and changed again to Nagone, which led eventually to Navona, now known as Piazza Navona.
The entrance to this historical excavation site can be found inside a small bookstore and gift shop located at one end of Piazza Navona. A small sign hangs above the door with a larger one on the back wall inside the shop. Available for purchase in the gift shop are history books, artwork, and souvenirs. Once inside the store, visitors descend the 4.5 metres below street level to view the arches, passageways, and stairway that once led to the upper seating areas. The outer walls no longer exist but experts have re-constructed a model of the entire stadium. Wandering through the site you will find several reader boards describing the items you are viewing along with related Roman history. The fascinating stories on the boards describe the sports that took place in the stadium as well as the most loved of the ancient games, chariot races.
Still relatively unknown to the general public, you can leisurely wander this uncrowded site. The cost of admission is 8 Euros (at time of writing), which includes a headset. For a fee, you may hire one of the on-site guides to walk you through and verbally provide the history instead of listening to audio or reading story boards.
Another area of the Stadium of Domitian is located under the French School of Rome situated at #62 in Piazza Navona. Excavations and repairs are currently underway beneath the Brazilian Embassy (formerly the palace built by the Pamphilj family) and are expected to be available for public viewing “soon.” These three areas pieced together will render a more complete picture of the history of Stadium of Domitian and the use for which it was intended.
The Emperors and Popes knew that if they kept the Roman people entertained, they would also keep their favour, so it was not uncommon to simply bury an area, haul in some soil to build up the foundation, then construct something new over top. So, whether you are in the countryside, the mountain regions, or in the “Eternal City” you just never know what you might find beneath your feet.
Linda A. Blair is a travel writer & photographer.
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Nicely written & informative article, Linda Blair!