Games of the XVII Olympiad take place in Rome
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| A scene from the opening ceremony for the 1960 Rome Olympics at the Stadio Olimpico |
Rome had been due to host the 1908 Summer Olympic Games, but following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius near Naples in 1906, the eternal city had to pass on the Olympic torch to London.
The 1960 Games - known officially as the Games of the XVII Olympiad - were opened by the then-president of Italy, Giovanni Gronchi, in the Stadio Olimpico in the north west of the city.
Building had begun on the multi-purpose sports venue in 1928 and it was expanded further in 1937, but then World War II halted any further development of the stadium. Mussolini’s ruling Fascist party had at one time harboured ambitions of hosting the 1940 Games, which were awarded instead to Japan but then cancelled.
After the Liberation of Rome in 1944, the Stadio Olimpico was used by the Allies for vehicle storage and then later as a venue for Anglo-American military competitions.
Following the end of the war, construction on the stadium was completed and the first event to take place there in 1953 was a football match between Italy and Hungary.
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| The Italian President, Giovanni Gronchi, second left, was at the stadium to open the Games officially |
Other famous locations in Rome used to host Olympic events in 1960, included the Baths of Caracalla, the Basilica of Maxentius, the Villa Borghese gardens and the Arch of Constantine.
Elsewhere in Italy, Olympic rowing and canoeing events were held on Lake Albano at Castel Gandolfo, and yachting events took place in the Bay of Naples.
During the 1960 Summer Olympic games, South Africa appeared for the last time under its apartheid regime. The country was not allowed to take part in the Olympics again until 1992 when apartheid in sport was being abolished.
The 18-year-old Cassius Clay, who later became known as Muhammad Ali, won the light heavyweight gold medal in boxing.
The future Constantine II, who was to be the last King of Greece, won his country a gold in sailing, and a young Greek woman, who would later become Queen Sofia of Spain, represented her country in sailing events.
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| The Ethiopian runner, Abebe Bikila, on his way to an historic victory in the marathon event |
In terms of medals, the most successful country at the 1960 Games was the USSR, whose team topped the table both for gold medals, of which it won 43, and overall medal total of 103.
The United States were second in golds with 37, from an overall total of 71.
The hosts won 13 golds, including five in cycling events, three in boxing and two in fencing. Italy’s only gold in athletics was won by Livio Berruti in the men’s 200m.
The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in conjunction with the 1960 Summer Olympics, the first time that the two events had coincided.
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| The ruins of the Roman Baths of Caracalla were used for events in the gymnastics competition |
The Baths of Caracalla, which were used for gymnastics events during the 1960 Summer Olympics, are thermal baths built between AD 211/212 and 216/217, during the reigns of emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla. They were the second largest baths in Rome after the Baths of Diocletian. The magnificent main waiting room at the original Penn Station in New York City, built in 1910, is said to have been inspired by the design of the Baths, which remained in use until the 530s, after which they fell into disrepair. A year-round tourist attraction, the ruins that remain have been the venue for a number of music concerts, notably including the historic Three Tenors concert, featuring Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras and Plácido Domingo, staged during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy.
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| Lake Albano, to the south of Rome, was the location used for rowing and canoeing |
Lake Albano near Castel Gandolfo in Lazio was the beautiful location for rowing and canoeing events during the 1960 Summer Olympics. Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope has his summer residence, overlooks Lake Albano from its wonderful position in the hills south of Rome, and the Pope spends every summer in the Apostolic Palace there. Although his villa lies within the town’s boundaries, it is one of the properties of the Holy See. The palace is not under Italian jurisdiction and is policed by the Swiss Guard. The whole area is part of the regional park of Castelli Romani, which has many places of historic and artistic interest to visit, and is the area where the popular white wine Trebbiano, is produced.
Search for accommodation in Castel Gandolfo
Also on this day:
79: Vesuvius eruption buries Pompeii and Ercolano
79: The death after the eruption of Pliny the Elder
665: The death of Saint Patricia of Naples
1509: The birth of cardinal Ippolito II d’Este
1609: Galileo demonstrates telescope
1691: The birth of architect Alessandro Galilei
1829: The birth of composer Carlo Eduardo Acton
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