Lo Stadio di Antonino Pio, located immediately to the west of the city of Puteoli, stands on a natural terrace, with the northern front facing the ancient Via Domitiana (today Via Luciano) and the southern one scenographically overlooking the Gulf of Pozzuoli. As ancient sources inform us, the construction of the Stadium was promoted by Emperor Antoninus Pius to celebrate the philhellenic spirit of his predecessor Hadrian who, having died in Baiae in 138 AD, was first buried in the area of one of Cicero’s villas in Pozzuoli; later, Antoninus Pius, overcoming the Senate’s reluctance, had his remains transferred to Rome and established Olympic-type games at Pozzuoli, in the place of the first burial, known by the Greek name Eusebeia. The Stadium (measuring approximately 300 x 70 m) has the traditional rectangular plan with one of the short sides curved (sphendone) and the other, reserved for the start of athletes, characterized by a slight curvilinear course. On this side – where in the last decade of the last century different excavation campaigns took place thanks to regional funds – there opens a monumental double curtain gate, originally covered by a masonry vault. This entrance introduced the athletes directly to the track and consisted of several arches made with large blocks of local volcanic stone (so-called piperno), coated with light plaster; of these arches only the pillars stood, while the voussoirs, all found in collapse, were repositioned in their original place during recent restoration works of the monument. The access for spectators, instead, took place from the northern front filtered by several protruding parts, of which only the first to the east has been brought to light, interspersed with green spaces. Passing through them leads to an ambulatory with cocciopesto flooring and composite vaulted ceiling; from here, through different openings (vomitoria), the public could access the various sectors of the stands (cavea). As in most ancient entertainment buildings, the cavea of the Antoninus Pius Stadium was also organized in three parts, corresponding to different tiers of spectators. The lowest part of the cavea (ima), reserved for prominent figures, is separated from the track by a bounding wall (balteus) and preserves two rows of seating made of piperno blocks; as for the middle and upper parts of the cavea (media and summa), the steps are not preserved and, according to some highlighted traces, they do not seem to have been made of piperno.
Information about the Stadium of Antoninus Pius
Via Campi Flegrei
80078 Pozzuoli (Naples)
081.5266007 (Office for Archaeological Heritage of Pozzuoli)
sar-cam.pozzuoli@beniculturali.it
https://sbanap.campaniabeniculturali.it
Source: MIBACT
