Arles Amphitheatre

90 AD

It held over 20,000 people for races and gladiator fights

Built in 90 AD, the amphitheatre held over 20,000 spectators of chariot races and hand-to-hand battles. It measures 136 metres long and 109 metres wide and has 120 arches, in two tiers.

120arches, in two tiers

A smaller copy

It copied the Colosseum but had to be smaller

The amphitheatre was obviously inspired by the Colosseum in Rome, built slightly earlier. It was not expected to receive 25,000 spectators, so the architect had to reduce the size and replace the Colosseum's dual system of galleries with a single annular gallery, because of the shape of the land.

A town

After Rome fell, over 200 houses were built inside it

With the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century the amphitheatre became a shelter for the population and was turned into a fortress with four towers. The structure encircled more than 200 houses, becoming a real town, with a public square in the centre of the arena and two chapels.

Cleared

In 1825 a writer started the effort to clear and protect it

The residential role continued until the late 18th century. In 1825, through the initiative of the writer Prosper Mérimée, the change to a national historical monument began. In 1826 the expropriation of the houses built inside it began.