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The Amphitheater
The Roman amphitheater of Volterra is a monumental building of Volterra from the Roman period still under excavation. It was accidentally discovered in 2015.
Located a few steps from Porta Diana and the urban cemetery, it was discovered by chance in the summer of 2015 during some hydrogeological restoration works by the Consorzio di Bonifica 4 Basso Valdarno. Thanks to the first excavation tests and a topographical survey it was possible to ascertain the extension of the artifact and the type of construction, which leads to a dating around the 1st century.
The presence of an amphitheater in Volterra is not mentioned in any historical source that has come down to us, nor are the causes of the partial collapse and subsequent burial still known. Since 2019, excavations have begun, still in progress, on the steps and in the related tunnels below, while the arena was reached at about 10 meters from the level of the excavation with the wastewater disposal system intact.
The history of the Roman Amphitheater of Volterra
The Roman amphitheater of Volterra was built towards the end of the 1st century BC. and 13 A.D. through funding from the wealthy Caecina family from Volterra. The amphitheater stands on an older Etruscan site and is one of the best preserved and most beautiful examples in all of Italy. During the excavations various seats were found with the names of the representatives of the most influential families of Roman Volterra still engraved. The front scene consisted of two floors of colonnades for a height of over 16 meters and was 36 meters long. The capacity of the theater was around 3,500 spectators, making it one of the largest in the Roman Empire.
The Romans left the theater at the end of the 3rd century AD. and near the scenic building they built a spa. The whole complex was discovered only thanks to archaeological excavations carried out starting from 1950 on the initiative of Enrico Fiumi. The Volterra archaeologist took several patients hospitalized at the psychiatric hospital of the city and put them to work on the excavations. For their great contribution, a commemorative plaque was placed at the entrance to the building.
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