Built in the 1st century AD, the Flavian Amphitheatre stands where the main roads of the region converged, the Via Domitiana and the road to Naples, replacing the ancient Roman Republican era entertainment building which had become insufficient due to the enormous demographic growth of Puteoli. The amphitheatre, in terms of capacity, was second in Italy only to the Colosseum and that of Capua. From a construction point of view, it is structured on three levels, corresponding to the ima, media and summa cavea (tiers of stands), topped by an attic, according to traditional architectural canons. A floor of travertine slabs, raised by one step above street level, formed the walking surface of an elliptical portico that surrounded the entire amphitheatre. From this portico, originally divided by stone pillars adorned with semi-columns and later reinforced by brick pillars, the actual entrances to the building were accessed. From the same external portico, twenty stairways also started, allowing access to the highest section of the stands. Internal annular corridors also allowed the orderly influx of spectators to the cavea through the vomitoria (access gates open along the stands). Similar corridors also served the underground areas below the arena floor, interrupted at the center by the stage pit and accessible from outside through two symmetrical monumental entrances.
Information about Flavian Amphitheatre and Temple of Serapis
Via Serapide
800178 Pozzuoli (Naples)
0815266007
sar-cam.pozzuoli@beniculturali.it
https://archeona.beniculturali.it
Source: MIBACT
