Ten minutes by car. Then one arrives at the Anfiteatro Flavio in Pozzuoli, the ancient Puteoli. The amphitheatre was built in the second half of the 1st century under Nero, Vespasian and Titus. We have visited several times before, but each visit has been different. On the last occasion, it was possible to explore the underground areas, while the arena itself was closed. This time it was the other way round: access below remained closed, but the arena was open.
A different perspective on the amphitheatre
There is a real difference between moving through the areas beneath the arena and standing in the middle of it. From the previous visit, it was chiefly the impressions from underground that had stayed with me. Now, standing in the interior among the tiers, which could hold up to 40,000 spectators, the scale becomes tangible. The arena has semi-axes of 72.22 and 42.33 metres, and the entire structure measures 149 by 116 metres. It is hard to stand in a place like this without imagining what it must once have looked like: how many people gathered here, how loud it must have been, and what has changed over the centuries. Curiosity sets in immediately. We stayed for just under an hour, no lengthy journey, no packed itinerary, simply time spent on site.
The third-largest amphitheatre after the Colosseum and Capua
In architectural terms, the Anfiteatro Flavio ranks alongside the greatest venues of the Roman Empire: it is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre after the Colosseum in Rome and the Amphitheater Campano in Capua. The outer façade originally consisted of three superimposed rows of arches with an attic storey above; four main entrances and twelve secondary entrances led into the interior. The name derives from the Flavian dynasty. The site is today managed by the Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei, under the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Seven metres deep: cages, trapdoors and flooding
Among the most impressively preserved features of the amphitheatre are its underground areas. The vaulted cellars lie around seven metres below the arena floor. Sections of the lifting mechanisms are still visible there, used to raise cages carrying lions, tigers and other animals up through trapdoors into the arena. A direct connection to the Phlegraean aqueduct of the Campi Flegrei and a system of drainage channels made it structurally possible to flood the arena rapidly and drain it again. Excavations began in 1839 and concluded in the late 19th century; the structure was not fully cleared of rubble until 1947.
What I value about my new home
This proximity to a structure of such scale is, for me, one of the great strengths of Pozzuoli. What would once have been a highlight on a trip to Italy is now on my doorstep. Since living here, my perspective on the surrounding area has gradually shifted. The Anfiteatro Flavio is one of those places to which it is always a pleasure to return, not least because a single visit is far from enough to answer all the questions it raises.
I would like to read more about it
What is still missing, from my point of view, is readily accessible German-language literature on the Anfiteatro Flavio. Very little has turned up that would allow for proper preparation before a visit or further reading afterwards. And yet there is much more to learn about the site, and much more context to be gained for what one sees there. In Italian, the official website of the Parco Archeologico dei Campi Flegreiis available, along with basic information at italia.it. Perhaps knowledge will grow with each subsequent visit. After just under an hour, it was time to head home. Ten minutes by car. It seems one still has to get used to this short distance between everyday life and a piece of Roman history.
