<Tr> <Th> Type of structure </Th> <Td> Circus </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Circus Maximus </Td> </Tr> <P> The Circus Maximus (Latin for greatest or largest circus; Italian: Circo Massimo) is an ancient Roman chariot - racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy . Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine Hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire . It measured 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width and could accommodate over 150,000 spectators . In its fully developed form, it became the model for circuses throughout the Roman Empire . The site is now a public park . </P> <P> The Circus was Rome's largest venue for ludi, public games connected to Roman religious festivals . Ludi were sponsored by leading Romans or the Roman state for the benefit of the Roman people (populus Romanus) and gods . Most were held annually or at annual intervals on the Roman calendar . Others might be given to fulfill a religious vow, such as the games in celebration of a triumph . In Roman tradition, the earliest triumphal ludi at the Circus were vowed by Tarquin the Proud to Jupiter in the late Regal era for his victory over Pometia . </P>

How many spectators could the circus maximus hold