Description of the attraction
The Flavia Amphitheater, located in Pozzuoli in the Campania region of Italy, is the third largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Only the Roman Colosseum and the Capua amphitheater are larger than it. Presumably, the Flavius amphitheater was built by the same architects who worked on the Colosseum. Its construction began during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and was completed during the reign of his son, Emperor Titus. The arena of the amphitheater could accommodate up to 20 thousand spectators. It was here in 305 that Saint Procol, who later became the patron saint of Pozzuoli, and Saint Januarius, the patron saint of Naples, were executed.
The interior of the Flavius amphitheater has survived to this day almost intact, and today you can see fragments of devices with which the cages were lifted up to the arena. The dimensions of the amphitheater are still striking - 147 by 117 meters (the arena was equal to 72x42 meters).
The Flavia Amphitheater was the second Roman amphitheater to be built in Pozzuoli. The first was smaller (130x95 meters) and older. It was built near the intersection of the roads leading to Naples, Capua and Cuma. After the eruption of the Solfatara volcano, the amphitheater was covered with ash and was abandoned, and in the Middle Ages marble slabs were removed from its outer walls. Archaeological excavations were carried out here in 1839-45 and 1880-82, but, unfortunately, later the small amphitheater was almost completely destroyed during the construction of the Rome-Naples railway line. Only a dozen arches have survived.
