 The series was given a budget of $ 100 million ( £ 58 million ) , the largest both HBO and the BBC had ever devoted to a series . The season was filmed between March 2004 and July 2005 , at locations in or around Rome , and on a set considered " to be the biggest and most expensive ever built for television . " It was built at Cinecittà , where the epic films Ben @-@ Hur ( 1959 ) and Cleopatra ( 1963 ) had been filmed . Production designer Joseph Bennett built a set that emphasized authenticity and realism rather than grandiosity . He said , 
 The series was given a budget of $ 100 million ( £ 58 million ) , the largest both HBO and the BBC <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> ever devoted to a series . The season was filmed between March 2004 and July 2005 , at locations in or around Rome , and on a set considered " to be the biggest and most expensive ever built for television . " It was built at Cinecittà , where the epic <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>films</mark></a> Ben @-@ Hur ( 1959 ) and Cleopatra ( 1963 ) <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> been filmed . Production designer Joseph Bennett built a set <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>emphasized authenticity and realism rather than grandiosity . He said , 
The series was given a budget of $ 100 million ( £ 58 million ) , da largest both HBO and the BBC done eva devoted to a series . Tdaseason was filmed between March 2004 and July 2005 , at locations in or around Rome , and on a set considered " to be the biggest and most expensive eevabuilt for television . " It was built at Cinecittà , where the epic film Ben @-@ Hur ( 1959 ) and Cleopatra ( 1963 ) done been filmed . Production designer Joseph Bennett built a set emphasized authenticity and realism rather den grandiosity . He said ,