The Flavian Amphitheater ( it, Anfiteatro Flavio Puteolano ), located in

Pozzuoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα ...

, is the third-largest

Roman amphitheater Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, '' venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About 230 Ro ...

in Italy. Only the Roman Colosseum and the

Amphitheatre of Capua The Amphitheatre of Capua was a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Capua (modern Santa Maria Capua Vetere), second only to the Colosseum in size and probably the model for it. It may have been the first amphitheatre to be built by the Romans. an ...

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 emperor

Vespasian 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 Em ...

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 Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy, advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, ...

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, lat ...

. After surviving being thrown to the wild beasts in the arena, the two were beheaded 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 volcani ...

. 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 adminis ...

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 Etrusc ...

, 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

File:Pozzuoli, anfiteatro Flavio (17392003513).jpg File:Pozzuoli, anfiteatro Flavio (17394006733).jpg File:Amphitheater - Pozzuoli - Campania - Italy - July 11th 2013 - 01.jpg File:Amphitheater - Pozzuoli - Campania - Italy - July 11th 2013 - 02.jpg File:Pozzuoli, anfiteatro Flavio (17390946283).jpg File:Amfiteatr Flawiuszy w Pozzuoli.jpg

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

History

Gallery

See also

References

Sources

External links