The Amphitheater of Pozzuoli was one of the largest of its kind in Italy. The actual name of this well-preserved monument, like the one of the Colosseum in Rome, is the Anfiteatro Flavio. It was also made with the same materials and by the same architects.
Amphitheater Pozzuoli
Useful information
The address of the Anfiteatro Grande is Via Nicola Terracciano, 75 – 80078 Pozzuoli. Tel . +39 0815266007; book: 848800288 (from Italy) or +39 06 39967050 (from outside Italy or with a cell phone). Train: Pozzuoli – Porto (Cumana line). Metro: Pozzuoli – Solfatara (line 2). Bus: 152, M1N, M1NB. Opening hours: 09.00 to 1 hour before sunset. Closed: Tuesdays, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th. Entrance fee: 5 Euros; EU residents between 18 and 24, 2 Euros; under 18s, free. Campania Artecard is valid.
History and Description
The Amphitheatre of Pozzuoli is very reminiscent of the Colosseum, which is not surprising since it officially had the same name (Anfiteatro Flavio) and was also built by the same architects and with the same materials.
There was room for 40,000 spectators in the Anfiteatro Grande. The wild animals were kept in rooms underneath the arena. Special equipment was designed to lift these animals into the arena. An ingenious drainage system collected rainwater.
The amphitheater itself measures 149 by 116 and the arena 72 by 42 meters. After the Colosseum and the amphitheater of Capua, it was the largest in Italy. There were 4 main entrances and 12 smaller ones. The arena was divided into four sectors. There were three floors, the upper one of which was graced in its entirety by a row of decorated columns.
Large parts of this amphitheater are very well preserved because of the protective layers of ash deposited by multiple volcanic eruptions.