Description
The amphitheater, one of the most important monuments of ancient Amiternum, is located in a flat area not far from the Via Caecilia and other public buildings. Its purpose was to host entertainment for the local population, particularly the famous gladiatorial games and hunts.
Built in the second half of the 1st century AD, it could accommodate approximately five thousand spectators. The structure forms an ellipse measuring 78 x 62 meters and retains the arches and vaults that supported the tiers of seats for the audience. The arena, the ring-shaped gallery adjacent to the wall surrounding the arena, and the external corridor, of which the remains of pillars remain, are still clearly recognizable.
The distinctive feature of this building is that, due to structural problems, significant consolidation work was required in ancient times on the northern section, which altered the internal circulation.
Of great interest, thanks to modern research, was the discovery of another amphitheater not far away, in an area east of the Via Caecilia, dating back to an earlier period and still incomplete.
Peristyle Building
The structure visible today in the immediate vicinity of the amphitheater is attributed to a building partially excavated in the 1960s and 1970s and organized around a central peristyle, a courtyard opening onto several rooms. It was probably built in the late Republican period. The building was abandoned due to a fire, as evidenced by the remains with traces of burning.
It was decorated with frescoes depicting fake marble compartments and had mosaic floors with geometric decorations. Its function is unknown, but it was certainly public: perhaps it was the site of a market or a professional guild.