Anfiteatro Flavio

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  • Address
    Via Terracciano 75, Pozzuoli
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  • Phone
    526 60 07
  • Transport
    train: Cumana to Pozzuoli
underground rail: Pozzuoli

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Lonely Planet review

The third-largest amphitheatre in Italy, the Anfiteatro Flavio could hold over 20,000 spectators and was occasionally flooded for mock naval battles. Wanted by Nero and completed by Vespasian (AD 69-79), its best-preserved remains lie under the main arena. Wander among the fallen columns and get your head around the complex mechanics involved in hoisting the caged wild beasts up to their waiting victims through the overhead 'skylights'.

In AD 305 seven Christian martyrs were thrown to the animals by the emperor Diocletian. They survived, only to be later beheaded. One of the seven was San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples.

Today the Anfiteatro hosts a summer season of theatre and concerts - contact the tourist office for details.