Description
The Roman Arena of Padua is what remains of the amphitheater built around 70 AD, where gladiator fights and wild beast shows were held. The ruins lie in the Giardini dell'Arena, on Corso Garibaldi, next to the Scrovegni Chapel.
Of the great elliptical building you can see sections of the outer wall in limestone blocks from the Berici Hills, which formed the base of the stands. Excavations also uncovered corridors lined with red Verona marble that led down toward the arena, perhaps reserved for staff or for ceremonies.
The name comes from the sand, the arena, spread over the ground where the shows took place. Abandoned after the fall of the Empire and turned into a fortress in the Middle Ages, in the early 14th century the site was bought by Enrico Scrovegni, who built his palace there and, as a private oratory, the famous chapel.
Excavations began in 1880, after the city had bought the Chapel and the Arena.
Of the great elliptical building you can see sections of the outer wall in limestone blocks from the Berici Hills, which formed the base of the stands. Excavations also uncovered corridors lined with red Verona marble that led down toward the arena, perhaps reserved for staff or for ceremonies.
The name comes from the sand, the arena, spread over the ground where the shows took place. Abandoned after the fall of the Empire and turned into a fortress in the Middle Ages, in the early 14th century the site was bought by Enrico Scrovegni, who built his palace there and, as a private oratory, the famous chapel.
Excavations began in 1880, after the city had bought the Chapel and the Arena.