Studio Agonale

The Studio Agonale lies beneath Piazza Navona in Rome and marks the site of the ancient Circus Agonalis, also known as the Stadium of Domitian. This structure was dedicated in A.D. 86 and served as Rome's first permanent venue for athletic competitions, inspired by Greek stadiums. It was built of brick and concrete faced with marble and had room for about thirty thousand spectators. The stadium was part of a larger building program on the Campus Martius, where the Odeon of Domitian stood just to the south and, farther south still, the Theater of Pompey.

Historically, the arena was used almost exclusively for athletic games, until a fire in the Colosseum led to its temporary use for gladiator fights. In Christian tradition, the site is regarded as the place of martyrdom of Saint Agnes. Over time the stadium fell into decay, with the arcades serving as housing for the poor and the arena as a gathering place. During the Renaissance, large parts of the structure were torn down to salvage building materials. Today Piazza Navona sits directly over the former arena, and the surrounding buildings incorporate the stadium's lower arcades. The church of Sant'Agnese in Agone commemorates the traditional spot of the martyrdom.