Roman Amphitheatre at Saintes

During the time of Emperor Claudius, in 40 AD, the Roman Amphitheatre in Saintes was constructed. Around 20 BC, the prosperous Roman town of Saintes, then known as Mediolanum Santonum, was established in what is now France. Ancient Roman sports would have taken place at the amphitheatre, which could accommodate thousands of spectators. It was created by making use of the relief site and can hold up to 15,000 spectators for occasionally brutal and violent performances. The tiers are located on an embankment in the west and are based on the valley side slopes.

The Roman Amphitheatre at Saintes, together with the Arch of Germanicus, offers tourists a glimpse of the famous ancient Roman city and is unquestionably worthwhile for anyone exploring the area.

Although grass has now taken over a large portion of the seating area, the location is still magnificent. It is still conceivable to visualize the fights that took place here between gladiators and wild beasts, just like at Rome's Colosseum.

The Sanavivaria entryway, which resembles the one in the Italian capital and is located at one end of the Saintes amphitheatre, was used to let in gladiators and animals trained for combat. They left by the same doorway if they were fortunate enough to make it through the content. But if they passed away, they were sent through the Libitinensis door (named after Libitina, the goddess of death, corpses and funerals).

Location: Saintes, New Aquitaine, France