Anfiteatro romano di Cagliari
Roman amphitheatre of the 2nd century AD cut into the rock on the Buon Cammino hill, with tiered seating, an arena and an underground corridor leading to a cistern.
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About the museum
The Roman amphitheatre of Cagliari probably dates from the end of the 2nd century AD and lies in a small natural valley on the western slopes of the Buon Cammino hill. The builders adapted the terrain to the shape of the building, carving the tiers into the rock and using the spoil to lay the floor of the arena. Today the monumental southern façade, which must have exceeded twenty metres in height, is missing, as is the opposite sector, where corridors and seating rose above a narrow rocky gorge.
For centuries the seating was removed and reused as building material. Only in the mid-19th century did the municipality buy the area and entrust the excavations to Canon Giovanni Spano: the arena was then completely buried, like the corridors of the lower levels. The excavations yielded coins, other finds and many thin marble slabs, evidence that the steps were clad in fine material.
As in other amphitheatres, the tiers are divided into sectors reserved for different social classes, which reached them by separate passages. A long corridor runs along the level of the arena, with the animal pens opening off it; other spaces under the arena probably housed the machinery for scene changes. The amphitheatre could hold about ten thousand spectators, who watched fights between men and wild beasts, executions and gladiatorial combats. From the bottom of the arena a corridor 95 metres long cuts through the rock and leads to a large underground cistern in the Orto dei Cappuccini.
Highlights
- Tiers cut into the rock for about ten thousand spectators
- Arena with corridor and animal pens
- 95-metre corridor leading to an underground cistern
- Traces of marble-slab cladding
- Included in the combined ticket for Cagliari's monuments
Permanent exhibition
- Anfiteatro romano – Visit to the tiers cut into the rock, the arena and the underground corridor leading to the cistern.
- Operated by
- Comune di Cagliari
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,984
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
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| Reduced | €2students up to age 26, over 65s and organised groups or training schools of at least 15 people |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Free up to age 6; school groups €1. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · People with disabilities and their companions enter free of charge. |
| Combined ticket for Cagliari's monuments | €8Cripta di Santa Restituta, Anfiteatro romano, Torre dell'Elefante, Grotta della Vipera, Passeggiata Coperta and Galleria dello Sperone; valid for 7 days. |
| School groups | €1 |
Free admission also for school group escorts and for tourist guides with a valid card.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The amphitheatre is in via Sant'Ignazio da Laconi, in Cagliari.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | The ticket includes access to the site. |
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