The Unbelievable Flavian Amphitheatre in Pozzuoli

In the heart of Pozzuoli, just west of Naples Italy, you will find the Flavian Amphitheatre with its amazing, almost fully intact underground areas. It is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre in Italy.
Known as the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire, Pozzuoli was a key hot spot of the Roman Empire. Its proximity to Rome and location on the Bay of Naples, made it an ideal Roman port, as well as a playground for the emperors and wealthy elite of Rome.
Vespasian, who was the first Flavian dynasty emperor, built this vast amphitheatre around 70 AD. It is the third largest in Ancient Rome after those of Rome and Capua. The Flavian Amphitheatre would have been able to house 50,000 spectators.
What sets the amphitheatre apart however, is its almost fully intact underground areas. Here you can explore the bottom floor of this once great stadium, and see the corridors, passageways, rooms and chambers where the gladiators would have prepared before their battles.
Damaged by ash and rubble from the eruption of the Solfatara volcano in 1198, Pozzuoli’s Flavian Amphitheatre had been abandoned and was used as a quarry for its marble. As time went by, the soil washed down from the crater of the nearby volcano, and accumulated in the amphitheatre, creating a very rich terrain and a perfect site for growing vines.
The underground structures of the arena were excavated between 1839 to 1855, and were completely unearthed by 1947. Remarkably, archaeologists found the Flavian Amphitheatre in a very good state of preservation, with many of its walls and floors intact. Today you can explore its labyrinth of underground corridors which contain numerous columns and capitals which had been dumped in the underground chambers by people living within the walls of the abandoned amphitheatre.
Wandering through its underground tunnels, gives you a real sense of what the amphitheatre must have been like, back in the heights of its glory.

[@annwilliams6438]

Great little video. It is nice to see this type of picture, plus your duration of showing a scene is spot on, along with nice oration. Thank you for your time and effort to bring us your videos.

[@81STAINLESS]

Again, glad you enjoyed it. We are drawn to Roman buildings and artifacts whenever we travel. You may wish to check out our KZbin channel - "81stainless" and specifically the Playlist for "Ruins of the Roman Empire", where we have posted 12 videos on our visits to historic Roman sites and museums. Thanks so much for watching!

[@annwilliams6438]

@@81STAINLESS Super. I am slowly going through your channel. :) I see that you have been to the Orkney Islands. I live in South Africa while my sister lives in Stromness so I have visited the Islands a few times now and absolutely loved them.

[@81STAINLESS]

While touring Italy is interesting, my husband and I really enjoyed visiting the peaceful and mystical Orkney Islands. Just to stand in the Knap of Howar and at Skara Brae - 5,000-year-old civilizations! Amazing.

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Supervolcano grumbling leaving us with only this video to remember it

[@Tony11442]

1:13 you mean 71 AD not 1 AD

[@81STAINLESS]

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, it is impossible to update KZbin videos, but you are correct. We are tourists and not historians, and get most of our narration from the internet. Most of the Flavian Amphitheatre sites didn't provide a "start" date, but one did and noted "1 AD". I now see it was a travel site, and since Emperor Vespasian wasn't born until 9 AD and didn't become emperor until 69 AD, I'd say the 1 AD date is wrong. You may want to also check out our "81stainless" KZbin channel and the RUINS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE playlist for additional videos on the Roman Empire. Thanks for watching!

[@Tony11442]

@@81STAINLESS Thank you for your videos i always enjoy them.