Amphitheatre · Italy · Partial ruin

Amphitheatre of Pompeii

Anfiteatro romano di Pompei

The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is an ancient Roman stone amphitheatre in the ruined city of Pompeii near Naples. Built around 70 BC, it is an elliptical arena with tiered stone seating (cavea) and circulation corridors, and it was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The excavated structure survives as a visible, walkable monument with accessible seating steps, an arena floor, entrance tunnels and a named Porta Libitinensis.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

AD 79

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in AD 79

What Amphitheatre of Pompeii looked like in its prime.

An elliptical masonry amphitheatre sunk several metres below the surrounding ground, composed of concentric tiers of weathered grey stone benches (cavea) with radial stairways and a continuous low retaining wall around the sunken oval arena; arched access openings punctuate the outer perimeter wall, and grassy patches fill the arena and between seating rows, with the low profile of the amphitheatre set against distant hills and a town skyline.

Step inside

8 places to explore in AD 79.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Amphitheatre of Pompeii, including 7 interiors: arena floor (centre of arena), podium and lower cavea (seats for higher-class spectators), upper cavea rows and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Exterior overview from the outer perimeterArena floor (centre of arena)Podium and lower cavea (seats for higher-class spectators)Upper cavea rowsCircumferential corridor at base of caveaPorta Libitinensis (large service door)Lower entrance tunnel for privileged entryQuadriporticus (adjacent above-ground courtyard)

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