Cagliari Roman Amphitheatre

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.monumenticagliari.it

Country: Italy

Civilization: Roman

Remains: Entertainment

History

The Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari is located in the city of Cagliari, within the province of Cagliari on the island of Sardinia, Italy. It was built during the Roman period when Sardinia and Corsica formed the province known as Sardinia et Corsica. Construction took place between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

During its active use, the amphitheatre hosted gladiatorial contests, fights involving wild animals, and performances by specialized fighters recruited both locally and from other regions. It also served as a site for public executions and theatrical events. The venue could hold between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators, which was nearly one-third of the population of Roman Caralis, the ancient name for Cagliari.

With the rise of Christianity, gladiatorial games gradually lost favor. In 438 AD, Emperor Valentinian III officially banned these contests, leading to the amphitheatre’s abandonment. Over the following centuries, the site fell out of use and was neglected.

From the early Middle Ages onward, the amphitheatre’s stones were repurposed by successive rulers, including the Byzantines, Pisans, and Aragonese. They quarried the site for building materials to reinforce city fortifications. This practice significantly reduced the original structure.

In the 19th century, the municipality of Cagliari took ownership of the site and initiated archaeological excavations led by Canon Giovanni Spano. These digs uncovered coins, artifacts, and numerous thin marble slabs that once covered the arena floor. In the early 2000s, a temporary wooden and iron structure was installed to host summer events but was later removed to preserve the site’s archaeological integrity.

Remains

The amphitheatre’s remains reveal a large elliptical structure partially carved into the natural rock, with the rest constructed from local white limestone. The building measured about 93 meters by 80 meters, while the central arena covered approximately 46 by 31 meters, totaling over 1,100 square meters.

Originally, the southern façade rose more than 20 meters high but has since disappeared. Seating was arranged in tiers around the arena. The lowest section, called the podium, was reserved for important individuals. Above this, free citizens sat according to social rank in three sections known as the ima, media, and summa cavea. Women and slaves occupied the highest tier, which was covered.

Excavations revealed corridors beneath the seating areas, allowing movement of spectators and participants. Archaeologists also found thin marble slabs that once formed the arena’s surface, indicating a refined finish for the fighting area.

After centuries of stone removal for fortifications, the amphitheatre now exists as an archaeological site with no modern structural additions.