Alessandro Sebastiani

The city of Rome conceals lesser-known monuments that escape the notice of the throngs of tourists who fill its streets on hot summer days. Special events offer the chance to explore the urban core, uncovering majestic structures whose walls whisper tales of old times, and in whose nooks one can still catch the echoes of bygone eras.

The Palatine Stadium, constructed at the end of the 1st century CE, is one such hidden gem. Unearthed amid the modern enthusiasm for antiquarian archaeology, it has endured spoliation that marred its remnants. Despite this, traces of its storied past persist, from its conversion into an amphitheater under Theodoric to its subsequent decline and revival. It stands as a fitting metaphor for the Roman world, as chronicled by certain historians, while the present day casts new light and brings voices that resonate through the nights.