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The Flavian Amphitheater ( it, Anfiteatro Flavio Puteolano ), located in Pozzuoli, is the third-largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Only the
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Ulixes web site for Anfiteatro Flavio in Pozzuoli (Italian Language)
{{Archaeological sites in Campania Building projects of the Flavian dynasty Roman amphitheatres in Italy Ruins in Italy Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan City of Naples Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Pozzuoli 1st-century establishments in Italy 70s establishments in the Roman Empire
The Flavian Amphitheater ( it, Anfiteatro Flavio Puteolano ), located in Pozzuoli, is the third-largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Only the Roman Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...
and the Amphitheatre of Capua are larger. It was likely built by the same architects who previously constructed the Roman Colosseum. The name "Flavian Amphitheater" is primarily associated with the Roman Colosseum.
History
It was begun under the reign of the emperorVespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Emp ...
and probably finished under the reign of his son Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death.
Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
. The elliptical structure measures 147 x 117 meters (482 x 384 feet), with the arena floor measuring 72.22 x 42.33 meters (237 x 139 feet). The arena can hold up to 50,000 spectators. The interior is mostly intact and one can still see parts of gears, which were used to lift cages up to the arena floor. In 305, the arena was the setting for the persecutions of the patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of Pozzuoli, Saint Proculus, and the patron saint of Naples, Saint Januarius
Januarius ( ; la, Ianuarius; Neapolitan and it, Gennaro), also known as , was Bishop of Benevento and is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later ...
. After surviving being thrown to the wild beasts in the arena, the two were beheaded
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...
at the nearby Solfatara
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or other rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volc ...
.
The Flavian Amphitheater is the second of two Roman amphitheaters built in Pozzuoli. The smaller and older amphitheater (Anfiteatro minore) has been almost totally destroyed by the construction of the Rome to Naples railway line. Only a dozen arches of this earlier work still exist. This lesser amphitheater measured 130 x 95 meters (427 x 312 feet).
The site of the structure was chosen at the nearby crossing of roads from Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...
, Capua
Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain.
History
Ancient era
The name of Capua comes from the Etrus ...
, and Cumae
Cumae ( grc, Κύμη, (Kumē) or or ; it, Cuma) was the first ancient Greek colony on the mainland of Italy, founded by settlers from Euboea in the 8th century BC and soon becoming one of the strongest colonies. It later became a rich Ro ...
. It was abandoned when it was partially buried by eruptions from the Solfatara volcano. During the Middle Ages, the marble used on the exterior was stripped, but the interior was left alone and is perfectly preserved. Excavations of the site were performed 1839 to 1845, 1880 to 1882, and finally in 1947.
Gallery
See also
*List of Roman amphitheatres
The remains of at least 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found widely scattered around the area of the Roman Empire. These are large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised 360 degree seating and not to be confused with the more common ...
References
Sources
* Crimaco, Luigi et al. ''Da Puteoli a Pozzuoli : scavi e ricerche sulla rocca del Rione Terra'', Naples : Electa Napoli, 2003. (OCLC ) * De Caro, Stefano and Greco, Angela. ''Campania'', Rome-Bari : G. Laterza, 1983, pp. 37–53. (OCLC ) * Maiuri, Amedeo. ''Studi e ricerche sull'Anfiteatro Flavio Puteolano''.Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
: G. Macchiaroli, 1955. (OCLC )
* Maiuri, Amedeo. ''I Campi Flegrei'', Rome : Istituto poligrafico dello stato, 1958, pp. 19–61. (OCLC )
* Maiuri, Amedeo. L’anfiteatro flavio puteolano, in ''Memorie dell’Accademia di Lettere, Archeologia e Belle Arti di Napoli'', Naples : G. Macchiaroli, 1955. (OCLC )
* Sirpettino, Mario. ''I campi flegrei. Guida storica'', Naples : Edizioni scientifiche italiane, 1999. (OCLC )
* ''Puteoli. Studi di storia antica'', vols.I-II, Pozzuoli : Azienda autonoma di soggiorno, cura e turismo di Pozzuoli, 1977–1978. (OCLC )
* ''I Campi Flegrei. Un itinerario archeologico''. Venice : Marsilio, 1990. (OCLC )
External links
Ulixes web site for Anfiteatro Flavio in Pozzuoli (Italian Language)
{{Archaeological sites in Campania Building projects of the Flavian dynasty Roman amphitheatres in Italy Ruins in Italy Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan City of Naples Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Pozzuoli 1st-century establishments in Italy 70s establishments in the Roman Empire