Anfiteatro Romano di Cagliari (Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari), Cagliari

The Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari is an ancient Roman amphitheatre, located in the city of Cagliari, southern Sardinia, Italy. The structure, built in the 2nd century AD, was half carved in the rock, while the rest was built in local white limestone, with a façade surpassing 20 m in height. The building axes measured about 93x80, those of the arena about 46.20x31.00. The surface of the arena was 1124.27 square meters. It housed fights between men and animals, of gladiators and other specialized fighters recruited in and outside Sardinia. It was also the seat of public executions. It could house up to 8,000 spectators, some one fourth of the Roman Caralis. The amphitheatre was no longer in use starting from the 5th century AD and was subsequently used as a free stone quarry by the rulers of the area, from the Byzantines, the Republic of Pisa, the House of Aragon and others. The area was acquired by the comune of Cagliari in the 19th century and excavated under the direction of a clergyman, Giovanni Spano.

Cagliari's Roman Amphitheatre blends in seamlessly with the city and its panorama. In a short walk along one of the most beautiful and breathtaking streets, one has the opportunity to walk around history, both ancient and recent. It is very easy to get to but unfortunately cannot be visited inside. For a small fee, it is possible to cross the fence to get a closer look. Within the city of Cagliari, one of the most significant and symbolic works of the Roman Empire in Sardinia, the amphitheatre, survives. It is always fascinating, when one comes across these kinds of ruins, to try to imagine them as they must have looked at their peak. Although the passage of time has been merciless in some ways, it manages to convey a deep fascination to the beholder. This place was once the centre of an ancient settlement, which, although not one of the poles of the empire, still represents an indelible mark left by a great people with a history stretching back thousands of years, who have managed to hand down the traces of their existence to the present day. However, the Amphitheatre is not only this for Cagliari. It is a structure that has been able to continue living and integrating with people from all historical eras. For only a quarter of its life, the building fulfilled the function for which it was designed, changing role as the centuries passed. It began as an amphitheatre, later became a quarry, then a house, a venue for performances and finally, an archaeological site to be redeveloped.

The Roman Amphitheatre is the most important building dating from the Roman period in Sardinia. It was built between the first and second Centuries AD. The only part that has been preserved was carved into the limestone rock on the Buoncammino hill. The amphitheatre had a maximum capacity of 10.000 spectators who came to see battles between men and wild animals, between gladiators and executions.

Mentioned in 19th century letters and studies, the Roman amphitheatre in Cagliari was rediscovered during the Romantic period, with its passion for the ruins of ancient civilisations.The first excavations by canon Giovanni Spano (1866-68) were followed by archaeologist Doro Levi's digs (1937-38) and the restoration of the majestic building. During the first imperial age, neighbourhoods and public buildings were built in Carales, followed by the amphitheatre from the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD, set in the southern foothills of the Buoncammino hill. It originally occupied more than a thousand square metres, with a 120 metre perimeter and a 20 metre high facade decorated with columns and statues. Part of the stands (cavea), the arena, corridors and other areas were carved from the rock, while the rest was built using white limestone blocks. ***PH***