Roma, Città Sportiva - Global Rome: Changing Faces of the Eternal City - page 143

tive chariot racing during the time of the empire. initially possessing religious
and triumphal significance, the increasing dedication of races to the creation of
spectacle and entertainment demanded circuses capable of accommodating sig-
nificant numbers of spectators. with its long lateral terraces, the Circus maxi-
mus seated in the region of 250,000 spectators prior to its destruction in the great
fire of 64 ad.
in addition to the circuses, ancient Rome saw the construction of numer-
ous stadiums. Reflecting their Greek origins, where stadiums were often situated
at the foot of a hill from which spectators could view the entertainment below,
Rome's early arenas took advantage of natural slopes, where possible, with ter-
racing conforming to the Greek-style, u-shaped arena. used primarily for ath-
letic competitions, the first permanent stadium to be constructed was that of the
emperor Domitian, following his election in 81 ad. based upon the design of the
stadiums in olympia and athens, the elongated rectangle was capped by a curve
at the northern end of the arena and a short straight at the south.
like many Roman structures, following its abandonment the remains of the
walls provided the foundations for the construction of civil and religious build-
ings that conformed exactly to the perimeter of the arena, thereby leaving the
central area free. Renamed Campo agonis, the area would later become known
as piazza Navona, which, from the 1600s to the 1800s, would be flooded every
weekend in august to host the performance of mock maritime battles.
in the modern age, the tiber River also made its contribution to the ludic
city by hosting one of Rome's oldest and most distinguished societies. two years
after the city had been seized by the new italian state, the società Ginnastica dei
Canottieri del tevere introduced gymnastics and rowing to the city. Recognized
by the savoy Royal family, the club's merger with the anzio-based Circolo del
Remo created one of italy's most aristocratic sports associations. at the same
time as the liberal italian regime tried to establish a better relationship between
the king and his new capital, the Reale Circolo Canottieri tevere Remo's nation-
alist ideals encapsulated the ethos of the era.1 with such huge lengths of coastline
to defend, swimming had long been recognized as a military skill and, conse-
quently, was promoted in united italy as the perfect type of physical training to
contribute to the creation of the citizen soldier. with the tiber, one of the first or-
ganized swimming venues in italy, the first clubs naturally came from the capital;
the società Rari Nantes and società Romana di Nuoto (Rome swimming society)
were based on the river just beyond the porta del popolo. Developing the sporting
dimension of what had long been considered a health and fitness activity, affluent
members of these clubs organized the first official competitive race in 1893. The
Rome Championship was a 7.5 km swim along the tiber.
from this point onward, sporting Rome and the now-capital city would de-
velop symbiotically; the bid to host the 1908 olympic Games was its first major
entry onto the international field of play. Rome was the front-runner among the