Roman amphitheatre of Lucera, Roman amphitheatre in Lucera, Italy
The Roman amphitheatre of Lucera is an ancient ruin in the Apulian city of Lucera, built in the early 1st century. The arena has an elliptical shape made of stone blocks, and a large part of the original structure remains visible today.
The amphitheatre was built under Emperor Augustus, at a time when Lucera was growing into a prosperous Roman colony in southern Italy. Over the centuries it was gradually abandoned and eventually covered by earth and debris.
Roman arenas were built at the heart of city life, and this one was no different. Visitors today can still make out the tiers and archways where crowds once sat watching events unfold on the arena floor below.
The entrance is along Viale Augusteo and the site stays open throughout the year. Sturdy footwear is a good idea since the ground is uneven, and there is very little shade inside the ruins on sunny days.
The amphitheatre lay buried for centuries and was only rediscovered in 1932, when excavation began. Even after that, only part of the site was fully uncovered, so sections of the arena remain hidden beneath the ground to this day.
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