Field of Mars in Rome (Campus Martius)

Campus Martius (Campo Marzio), English Field of Mars, is a lowland in the bend of the Tiber River with an area of 250 hectares between the Quirinal, Pincian, and Capitoline Hills, intended for gymnastic and military exercises. The center of the field, where the altar of Mars was built, received the name Campo and, in ancient Rome, turned it into a war memorial, while the rest of the space was built up.

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Things to Know about Campus Martius

History & Sights

The history of the polar of Mars is associated with the military glory of Rome. In ancient times there was a campus (Campo) – barracks and other structures for the needs of a large army: hospitals, arsenal, and training fields. After the expulsion of the Tarquinians, the status of the field changed. The inquiry was celebrated every year and accompanied by horse racing. Everyone could find entertainment for themselves.

Here is a list of sights that are located on the Campus Martius:

Villa Publica

The first public building on the Campus Martius was Villa Publica. The building, created in 435 BC, was 300 m of cleared space enclosed by a small portico. This place was used for regular (every 5 years) gatherings of Roman citizens for political purposes.

During the 3rd century B.C., during the Punic Wars, numerous battles were fought outside Rome and its environs. However, wealthy generals returning from campaigns considered it their duty to honor the dead’s memory and give glory to their gods. Thus, Campus Martius was built up with various temples and tombs.

Circus Flaminius

In 221 BC, consul Gaius Flaminius built a circus in the southern part of Campo Marzio for horse racing and the Plebeian Games. A path to the Circus connected the gates of del Popolo, and Via Flaminia was laid. However, to this day, the Circus of Flaminia has not survived.

Largo di Torre Argentina

During the Republic, a space called the Area Sacra (lat. the Holy Land) was formed on the territory of the Campo Marzio.

This name is more than justified because, in a relatively small area of ​​the capital’s land, 4 impressive buildings were built: the Hall of 100 Columns (Hecatostylum), the Baths of Agrippa, the Pompeii Theater, and the Circus Flaminius.

Archaeological excavations that allowed the discovery of the remains of ancient temples and public institutions began in the 20th century and continue to this day. In 1993, Silvia Viviani and Lia Dequel founded the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary (in Italian, Colonia Felina Torre Argentina, or “Torre Argentina Feline Colony”). 

Today, volunteers at Largo di Torre Argentina care for about 250 cats at the cat sanctuary

After the site’s excavation, cats started moving to these ruins, and locals fed them. Even though the whole city is full of cats, Torre Argentina is a trendy place for them. Torre Argentina has numerous bus stops between the Jewish Ghetto, Campo de Fiori, and the Pantheon areas.

Read also about the Circus Maximus.

Temples

There were many temples on the territory of Campus Martius. Some of the temples have survived to this day.

Temple of Bellona

The Temple of Bellona (Templum Bellona), the patroness of the defenders of the Motherland, was built in 295 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus in honor of the victory of the Romans over the Etruscans. The temple was on the Campo Marzio near the Marcellus Theater (Teatro di Marcello). Political meetings took place in the temple. Sometimes receptions were held in honor of foreign ambassadors. However, at the moment, the temple is a ruin.

Temple of Hercules

The Temple of Hercules (Ercole Oleario) was built around 120 BC on the hilly coast of the Tiber, which was referred to as the Bull Forum (Foro Boario) at that time. It is surrounded by columns and is the oldest marble building in Rome, still pleasing to the eyes of modern tourists. There is an assumption that the temple was built with the money of a merchant of olive oil, as evidenced by the inscription on one of the statues inside it.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is an ancient temple dedicated to the Roman gods and embodies the greatness of the Roman Empire. It is assumed that it was built in A.D. 2 in the place of another temple, built in 27 B.C., by Marcus Agrippa. Nowadays, this ancient crowning glory can be found at Piazza della Rotonda.

The height of the building is almost equal to its diameter and amounts to 42 meters (137,8 ft). Air and light penetrate inside the Pantheon through the oculus in the center of the dome with a diameter of 9 meters (29,5 ft), called “the Eye of the Pantheon”, the main feature of  the temple

The Pantheon is one of the few buildings of ancient Rome that have survived unchanged. It has always attracted the attention of artists, scientists, and the simple public. Michelangelo considered it to be an angelic creation. Raphael wanted to be buried in the temple, which, in his mind, was a place where people and gods are united. So the great artist was buried in the Pantheon. This event became a new stage in the history of the ancient temple, turning it into a burial place of great and famous people.

Hadrian’s Temple

Hadrian’s Temple (Templum Divi Hadriani) was erected in 145 A.D. by the descendant of the emperor, Antoninus Pius. The building was made in a luxurious style: on a rectangular podium were built two rows of 13 marble columns that supported the ornate roof. A wide staircase, faced with slabs of marble and carved reliefs, led to the temple.

Unfortunately, only 11 columns and part of the temple’s wall have survived. The temple’s remains became part of the Roman customs building and later of the stock exchange, which was built in the late 19th century. The address of the Temple of Hadrian is Piazza di Pietra.

Theaters

Lucius Cornelius Sulla gave the Field of Mars popularity among the Roman nobility in the 2nd century B.C. Apartment buildings, called insulas, and different public buildings were constructed. The once-abandoned territory began to be actively built up with houses, porticoes, palaces, and theaters.

Theatre of Pompey

The Theatre of Pompey (Latin: Theatrum Pompeii, Italian: Teatro di Pompeo) was built during the latter part of the Roman Republican era by Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus). Completed in 55 B.C.,

The Theatre of Pompey was the first permanent theatre built in Rome.

The curia is infamous as the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius during a session of the Senate on 15 March 44 BC

Theatre of Marcellus

The Theater of Marcellus was built in the Campus Martius area, between the Tiber and the Campidoglio. Also, its location is downhill from the Capitol, on the way to the Mouth of Truth.

Augustus, the first Roman emperor, claimed that he found the Eternal City in clay and, left it in marble, dedicated the construction to his favorite nephew, Marcellus. However, instead of being the following emperor, Marcellus died young and became the first to be laid in the mausoleum of Augustus.

The theater had a big strategic importance. It was under the rule of the Fabi family that built a fortress on top of the arches. However, eventually, the construction was under the command of the Savelli and Orsini families.

Read also about the Top 30 Attractions in Rome.

Imperial Period Buildings

The engineering of Rome over the centuries has incredibly developed from Ancient Roman architecture to modern Italian and contemporary architecture.

Saepta Julia

During the reign of Emperor Augustus, Campo Marzio was a place for voting of the citizens of Rome. Thus, Saepta Julia was arranged. For a long time, the extensive structure (300 x 95 m) served as one of the residences of Roman rulers. Nowadays, part of the wall of Saepta Julia can be seen next to the Pantheon.

Porticus Octavia

Nearby the Marcellus Theater and the Flaminius Circus are the ruins of a portico erected in honor of the sister of Emperor Augustus, Octavia Minor.

The building was created around 27 B.C. However, at the dawn of the Christian era, the building, lined with expensive marble, was twice put to fire. In the past, on the walls of the portico of Octavia, one could see works of art, such as Pliny’s “Natural History.” After significant upheaval, the building was used as a fish market and fell into decay.

The Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis Augustae (Latin, “Altar of Augustan Peace”) is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace. The Roman Senate commissioned the monument in 13 B.C. to honor the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul and consecrated it in 9 B.C.

Mausoleum of Augustus

The Mausoleum of Augustus (Italian: Mausoleo di Augusto) is a large tomb built by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 28 B.C. on the Campus Martius. The grounds cover an area equivalent to a few city blocks nestled between the church of San Carlo al Corso and the Museum of the Ara Pacis.

The Stadium of Domitian

The Stadium of Domitian (Stadio di Domiziano), also called the Circus Agonalis, was located north of the Campus Martius. It was commissioned around A.D. 80 by Emperor Titus as a gift to the people of Rome and was primarily used for athletic contests.

Column of Marcus Aurelius

The Column of Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Columna Centenaria Divorum Marci et Faustinae, Italian: Colonna di Marco Aurelio) is a Roman victory column in Piazza Colonna. It is a Doric column featuring a spiral relief: it was constructed in honor of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and modeled on Trajan’s Column.

Suggested article Famous Architectural Columns in Rome.

How to Get

You can get to Piazza in Campo Marzio from the Barberini Metro Station, following Via del Tritone. If you are already in the urban area of Campo Marzio, you can get to the Pantheon from Piazza Torre Argentina, or many other attractions. Nowadays this area is one of the best places for shopping in Rome!

Author: Kate Zusmann

I have lived in the Eternal City for the past 12 years. They say every angle of Rome has its history, and I'm here to tell you about the most intriguing historical facts and city legends. :)