The Amphitheatre in Pompeii

The Amphitheatre which is at the end of the street called “via dell’abbondanza”, in the archaeological site of Pompei, is the oldest stone building of this kind. Its construction is dated back in 80 BC while the first amphitheatre in Rome, the Statilio Tauro amphitheatre, is dated back in 29 BC. The originality of this amphitheatre consist in no having underneaths, as the imperial age amphitheatres. In the superior part of the amphitheatre there are some big holes, used to put a covering on the arena to protect the spectators from the sun and from the rain. With this trick the spectacles could take place in every period of the year, without worrying about the seasons. The terraces of the amphitheatre were divided into three orders, one of these was surely reserved to women. This place has been also the background of one of the most emotionalising shows of the history of rock: in 1971 the Pink Floyd, recorded their “Live in Pompei” here, a concert without public, destined to become one of the most memorable moments of the history of music.