Amphitheatre of Pompeii

Very nice tour, very hot place with lots of walking. There was one family with a wheelchair and a couple with strollers and they were obviously struggling. The streets are original stones in which you can see the marks made by chariots, I understand now why people who had disabilities were carried into the town squares.

Pompeii is absolutely fascinating. Walking through the ancient streets feels like stepping back in time, with incredibly well-preserved ruins, mosaics, and frescoes around every corner. The sheer scale of the site and the level of detail you can still see make it both awe-inspiring and humbling. It can get busy and hot, but the history and atmosphere make it completely worth it. A must-visit for anyone interested in ancient Rome or unforgettable travel experiences.

ALL OF POMPEII was GREAT!!! being in a place that got wiped out 2000 years ago... And how... And what they have found... And what they are still doing... Spectacular visit!!! Our private tour lady laid out right on us ..

Where History’s Echoes Are Deafening When you walk through the ruins of Pompeii, you are surrounded by the intimate, everyday ghosts of a lost city—the homes, the bakeries, the temples. But when you arrive at the amphitheater, you feel something entirely different. You feel the roar. This is not just another Roman amphitheater; it is the original. Built around 70 BC, this stone giant is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater on Earth, predating the Colosseum in Rome by over a century. Standing in its arena, you are on ground zero for the very concept of the gladiator games that would come to define an empire. What makes this site so breathtaking isn't just its age, but its raw, unadulterated atmosphere. Unlike the Colosseum, which was built up with complex underground chambers, Pompeii's arena is a stark, elliptical bowl. You can stand in the center and see everything: the grassy banks where 20,000 spectators once sat, the two main entrance tunnels, and the looming, silent presence of Mount Vesuvius in the distance. The history here is palpable and violent. This was the site of the infamous "Riot of 59 AD," a bloody brawl between the fans of Pompeii and the rival town of Nuceria that grew so deadly the Emperor Nero banned all games here for ten years. You can still see the tunnels where gladiators and wild animals would have entered, and it’s impossible not to feel a chill. This was a place of celebrity, bloodsport, and mass hysteria. Yet, this arena also has a second, haunting cultural life. In 1971, the rock band Pink Floyd set up their equipment in this empty stadium and recorded Live at Pompeii. They played to an audience of none, their psychedelic music echoing off the same stones that once absorbed the shouts of the crowd. This event forever layered a modern, melancholic soul onto the ancient stones. The Experience: Visiting the amphitheater is a profound experience. Because it’s located at the far end of the Pompeii complex, it is often less crowded than the Forum. You can walk the perimeter of the upper seats or stand alone in the vast, grassy arena. The quiet is overwhelming. You are left to fill the silence with your own imagination—the clash of swords, the cries of the crowd, or the ethereal chords of "Echoes." Verdict: The Amphitheater of Pompeii is an absolute, must-see highlight of the entire archaeological park. It is a powerful, primal, and surprisingly moving place. It is not just a ruin; it’s a stage where you can feel the thunderous, deafening echo of history—both ancient and modern—all at once.

The term amphitheatre is literally defined as "the space for the spectators that runs all round the arena". The commemorative inscription attributes its construction to the highest officials in Pompeii, Caius Quintus Valgus and Marcus Portius, who also built the Odeion shortly after the town had acquired the status of a Roman colony.The Pompeian Amphitheatre is classed as the oldest of all existing buildings of this kind. To allow easy access, it was built in an area on the outskirts of the town with comparatively few buildings and it was inserted into a corner formed by the town walls in order to make use of the existing embankments on two of its sides. About 20,000 people could be seated in its three tiers and would attend bloody shows performed by gladiators and wild animals.No shows were held in the amphitheatre in the winter months and in the warmest period of the year. In summer, a canopy of dark flax material was fitted above the seats to protect the audience from the burning sun and this was advertised in the notices announcing the shows. The canopy was supported on wooden poles inserted into stone rings fixed to the walls on the upper landings of the stairways. A number of external stairways led to the upper tiers (summa Cavea) which formed the top part of the structure. From a passageway running parallel to the perimeter of the arena, and from here over several stairways, the spectators could reach the middle and lower tiers (ima Cavea and media Cavea). Carts would enter the amphitheatre through two corridors which led to the slightly flattened ends of the arena directly from outside. The wild animals used for the shows entered the arena through a narrow passage in the middle of the arena.