Roman Amphitheatre

The Roman amphitheatre of Cagliari is carved directly into the rock of the hillside at the western edge of the Castello quarter, and this geological integration is what makes it distinctive — rather than a freestanding structure like the Colosseum, it uses the natural slope to provide seating. The lower sections, cut into the rock itself, are the best-preserved; the upper tiers were dismantled in the medieval period.

The amphitheatre is now used as an outdoor performance venue in summer, which brings it back to something close to its original function. Visiting during the day, you can walk the arena floor and see the underground passages (now sealed) that once housed animals and condemned prisoners. The hillside position gives good views over the city and the surrounding valley.

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The amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century CE, when Cagliari (then Caralis) was one of the most important cities in the Roman Mediterranean. Most of the cut-stone upper tiers were quarried away in the medieval period for use in other buildings — a common fate for Roman structures in Sardinia. What remains is the lower cavea cut directly into the limestone hillside, the orchestra floor, and the arena. The capacity was originally estimated at around 10,000 spectators.

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