Geometric Reconstruction of the Positioning of the Carceres in the Circus of Maxentius

The Maxentius complex is located inside the Appia Antica Archaeological Park and was built in the reign of Emperor Maxentius (306–312 AD). It consists of the mausoleum, the villa and the circus of the same name at the III mile of the Regina Viarum. The research focuses on the geometric reconstruction of the Carceres of the Circus of Maxentius, which concerned not only the circumference arc underlying the arrangement of the Carceres with the towers, but also the geometric center of the circumference itself. The architectural composition of the circuses was conceived in function of the race, therefore each part assumed a precise role. The Carceres were the housing of the wagons before the race and were the place from which the race started.