Stadio Palatino (Palatine Stadium), Rome

The Palatine Stadium was an integral part of Domitian's palace complex situated on the Palatine Hill. It was the last structure to be constructed, following the completion of the Domus Flavia and the Domus Augustana, which respectively served as the public and private areas of the palace. Built during the late 1st century AD, the expansive complex replaced earlier buildings that dated back to the Republican period and Nero's reign. The architect Rabirius oversaw the construction of the stadium, beginning shortly after Domitian's rise to power in 81 AD and concluding in 92 AD. However, the building suffered extensive looting after its discovery and excavation in the 18th century, resulting in irreparable damage.

Constructed primarily using bricks, the Palatine Stadium featured brick stamps that corresponded to the end of Domitian's principality, with some renovations carried out during the Hadrianic and Severian periods. The remaining small oval enclosure in the southern part of the arena likely dates to the time of Theodoric and may have been used as an amphitheater, rather than a training ground for gladiators, as such spectacles had been abolished since the reign of Honorius.

The stadium primarily served as a garden and private riding school, known as a Viridarium, similar to those found in contemporary private villas, according to accounts from Pliny the Younger. The stadium resembled a circus in shape, with an elongated rectangular layout and one of the shorter curved sides measuring approximately 160 by 48 meters. It occupied the entire eastern side of the Domus Augustana, covering a total length of around 88 meters.

The perimeter of the stadium featured a two-story portico adorned with brick pillars covered in marble on the lower level (only the bases remain), while the upper level showcased marble columns, as partially reconstructed in the northern corner. In the center of the eastern side stood a hemicycle-shaped tribune, situated slightly protruding at the upper level of the portico. Below the tribune, three open spaces supported its structure. The central area of the stadium contained the arena itself, which was divided by the "spina." Only the semicircular terminal elements of the spina remain visible today.