Villa di Massenzio
Villa di Massenzio
4
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
About
The Museum is located within the San Sebastiano Gates, one of the largest and best conserved gates in the Aurelian Walls. The exhibits tell the history of the city’s fortifications, from the walls constructed during the royal and republican ages to the Aurelian Walls (3rd century BC).
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4.0
107 reviews
Excellent
38
Very good
46
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
4
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Sara R
Rome, Italy16 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Very nice archaeological site. We visited it on the occasion of the Saturday evening openings. The lighting gives a special charm to the remains of this Roman Villa outside the city walls. For the occasion some guides explained its history. Definitely worth a visit.
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Written 27 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard H
Leeds, UK418 contributions
Oct 2022
This complex of ruins includes the Mausoleo di Romolo and the Circo di Massenzio.
If you've been to the Roman Forum and seen the Basilica di Massenzio and the Tempio di Romolo then it's worth while seeing this site. When Emperor Maxentius's son (Romulus - not that one) died his father made him a god and buried him here.
These's very little in the way of descriptions for the ruins. There is an AP you can download for the whole Appia Antica site.
If you've been to the Roman Forum and seen the Basilica di Massenzio and the Tempio di Romolo then it's worth while seeing this site. When Emperor Maxentius's son (Romulus - not that one) died his father made him a god and buried him here.
These's very little in the way of descriptions for the ruins. There is an AP you can download for the whole Appia Antica site.
Written 20 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jsctraveler
Pittsburgh, PA490 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Escape the hordes of tourists in the center of Rome and head out to the Appia Antica (Appian Way) for a relaxing stroll through ancient ruins. Although you won't see as many ruins here as in the Forum/Colosseum/Palatine Hill area, they tend to stand out because they do not compete with other ruins for your attention. One set of ruins just beyond the Catacombs of St. Sebastian marks the place where the Villa of Maxentius and his circus were once located. As you head down a small hill to the right, you can gaze across a broad field and imagine chariot races and see some significant ruins that help you appreciate the scale of the circus.
To the left through a passage in a wall is a round mausoleum. If you walk around behind it, you can descend into the structure. There's not much to see inside, but it is impress nonetheless.
That's about it. Plan less than 30 minutes unless you walk around the interior of the circus to get a sense of its massive size. That's not a bad thing to do.
Entry is free, there is bike parking near the entrance, and there is even a bathroom (walk through the gate and make a hard left).
The best bus to take out to the Via Appia Antica is the #118 which picks up at convenient places like Piazza Venezia and at the Circus Maximus metro stop. Get off at the Quo Vadis stop and take advantage of the tourist information point located near there. The people who staff the desk are friendly and are happy to answer questions. They have a wonderful illustrated map (free) and bikes for rent: 3 euros/hour for a touring bike, 6 euros/hour for an electric bike. They also have tandems. All rentals come with free helmet and lock. As an added bonus, there is a bus ticket machine in the shop, too!
To the left through a passage in a wall is a round mausoleum. If you walk around behind it, you can descend into the structure. There's not much to see inside, but it is impress nonetheless.
That's about it. Plan less than 30 minutes unless you walk around the interior of the circus to get a sense of its massive size. That's not a bad thing to do.
Entry is free, there is bike parking near the entrance, and there is even a bathroom (walk through the gate and make a hard left).
The best bus to take out to the Via Appia Antica is the #118 which picks up at convenient places like Piazza Venezia and at the Circus Maximus metro stop. Get off at the Quo Vadis stop and take advantage of the tourist information point located near there. The people who staff the desk are friendly and are happy to answer questions. They have a wonderful illustrated map (free) and bikes for rent: 3 euros/hour for a touring bike, 6 euros/hour for an electric bike. They also have tandems. All rentals come with free helmet and lock. As an added bonus, there is a bus ticket machine in the shop, too!
Written 18 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bodillymill
Helston, UK183 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
When in Rome on a good day. Walk and picnic...
We decided to do a walk out along the Appian Way for as far as we could go in one Day. we would do the Catacombs of St Calisto and then go on until we reach the Circus of Maxentius and make a further decision but visit what we could en-route..
We got to the Circus Maximus and found the little Appian way road going in a Southerly direction. We passed and went into the Porto Mura museum (which tells you all about the roman walls around Rome (free)) then headed on further down the Appian way. Stopped and had lunch at a café then went into the Church of Quo Vadis (this is the Church that marks the spot where St Peter was asked to turn around and go back and be a "Shepherd of Men" by Jesus. (a stone in the floor marks the spot).
By this time we had taken about 3 hours to get this far. About 1 more kilometre down the Appian way are the Catacombs of St Calisto which are the largest catacombs in Rome. That visit took a further hour (excellent). Then continued further to the Circus.
This Circus is not crowded, it is free to get in and a very relaxing place to visit. It is also in much better condition than the circus Maximus. We also visited the Mausoleum and while there met an Archaeologist who was excavating a drain. She told us she had just found a coin...and showed it to us. She let me hold it and look closely at it which I thought was a great honour as this coin was fresh out of the ground and 1650 years old.
We started walking back about 4:30pm after a wonderful day.
Wear good shoes and take water and it'll be one of the best walks you'll ever have.
We decided to do a walk out along the Appian Way for as far as we could go in one Day. we would do the Catacombs of St Calisto and then go on until we reach the Circus of Maxentius and make a further decision but visit what we could en-route..
We got to the Circus Maximus and found the little Appian way road going in a Southerly direction. We passed and went into the Porto Mura museum (which tells you all about the roman walls around Rome (free)) then headed on further down the Appian way. Stopped and had lunch at a café then went into the Church of Quo Vadis (this is the Church that marks the spot where St Peter was asked to turn around and go back and be a "Shepherd of Men" by Jesus. (a stone in the floor marks the spot).
By this time we had taken about 3 hours to get this far. About 1 more kilometre down the Appian way are the Catacombs of St Calisto which are the largest catacombs in Rome. That visit took a further hour (excellent). Then continued further to the Circus.
This Circus is not crowded, it is free to get in and a very relaxing place to visit. It is also in much better condition than the circus Maximus. We also visited the Mausoleum and while there met an Archaeologist who was excavating a drain. She told us she had just found a coin...and showed it to us. She let me hold it and look closely at it which I thought was a great honour as this coin was fresh out of the ground and 1650 years old.
We started walking back about 4:30pm after a wonderful day.
Wear good shoes and take water and it'll be one of the best walks you'll ever have.
Written 26 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrModu
Friendswood, TX413 contributions
May 2014 • Family
A traveler on the Appian Way should go here. In Rome we learned about the rivalry between Emperors Maxentius and Constantine resulting in a battle which killed Maxentius. This stop helps to close the loop between Maxentius and Constantine. Walk a loop around the Circus and get a feel for the grandeur of the chariot races. The tomb of Romulus (Maxentius' son) is now part of a private villa but you can see it from the grounds.
Written 25 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen V
Tampa, FL3,157 contributions
Feb 2013 • Family
As others have said, the Circus Maxentius is definitely more preserved than the Circus Maximus. It's the second largest circus in Rome. You can still see the tower that held the pulley that raised the starting gate for the chariots. We didn't get to go inside to see the mausoleum, or walk to the track. We just took pictures of it from outside the gate. It was just as nice a view without having to walk on uneven ground to see it up close. The view along the Via Appia is well worth the trip. There wasn't a single person in sight when we were there. It was very nice and peaceful. A very memorable experience.
Written 2 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SyrinxSounds
Victoria, Canada1,413 contributions
May 2017
I was not going to stop in, but I did want to step up to the entry and at least peer in. Now, I had it in mind that there was a fee to enter, but at least for today, no. Do you need to walk around the villa for greater context on the culture of the Appian Way? Probably not, but I have a feeling that the tours which seemed to be being organized while were were there probably would have given that context. And it was a pleasant walk through the grounds. It only took about 15 minutes, and there was a surprising amount of breeze for the ambient temperature. The ruins were not really much to look at, but I did find myself pondering on those who took the Grand Tour of the 18th century leaving behind ruined castles where they lived to be inspired by ruins like these. As I headlined, they are evocative.
So, for me, it was definitely worth the time given the fact that it was free, but I'd not spend money on it unless I were a wild Maxentius fan.
So, for me, it was definitely worth the time given the fact that it was free, but I'd not spend money on it unless I were a wild Maxentius fan.
Written 27 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
preglad
New York3,506 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
I'll make this brief to try to get more quick reads. The Villa di Massenzio is extremely commanding, amazingly well preserved. It's bit like visiting your rich old uncle's apple farm estate a generation after he lost all his money when the Stock Market fell (the one in 1929 for the kiddies out there). Massenzio was a big deal general who took on Constantine around 424 and lost. It was a downhill slide after that.
The grounds are also quietly lovely so it's a double treat. I think almost any one visiting the Appian Way who stops here would enjoy it, but who knows what evil lurks in the heart of some vagrant souls? :)
The grounds are also quietly lovely so it's a double treat. I think almost any one visiting the Appian Way who stops here would enjoy it, but who knows what evil lurks in the heart of some vagrant souls? :)
Written 29 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tabougris1954
Sicily, Italy62 contributions
Sept 2015 • Friends
On the Appian Way, this is a beautiful, relaxing archaeological site where you can admire the ancient circus, and let your immagination create images of the races and the people watching them.
A real plus is that it is completely free.
A real plus is that it is completely free.
Written 28 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jesse N
Minnetrista, MN51 contributions
June 2015 • Family
This is the best preserved Circus. You can walk right on down to the racetrack and imagine what it used to be like. Definitely worth a look if you are hiking the Appia Antica.
Written 24 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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