Amphitheatre

We didn't actually go into the Coliseum in Rome when we visited. A combination of so much to see in so little time, a tight budget and the number of other people lining up for a look led to a couple of photos of the exterior being our only involvement. So it was nice to have a look around the 20th largest Roman amphitheatre here in Arles. In the middle ages the structure have been completely taken over by people and it wad jammed full of houses and shops and a significant amount of stone had been carted of for other uses. It once held 20,000,but since the restoration process, which began in the 19th century, it has only been returned to a capacity of 12,000. It is still used for the French version of bullfighting - somewhat less traumatic for the build then the Spanish version.Read more