A vast Roman arena built for around 60,000 spectators sits in Campania rather than Rome, with a maze of underground passages beneath its floor. The site formed part of ancient Capua, a city whose remains stretch far beyond a single monument, taking in gladiator history, painted cult spaces and Roman tombs beside a modern town.
The Campanian Amphitheatre and its underground world
The Campanian Amphitheatre in Santa Maria Capua Vetere is described as the second-largest amphitheatre in the world after the Colosseum. Its scale remains clear in the elliptical seating structure and broad arena, but the most arresting part lies underneath.
