Pula Arena

My 1st reaction when I saw place this was "mini-coliseum". That is what it looks like. It is one of the six largest arenas of this type remaining. Given that this a seismically active area, it give credence to the capabilities of Roman engineers that so much of it is still standing.
This arena was built between 27 BCE and 68 CE. So it was begun during the reign of Augustus and finished at about the end of the reign of Nero (and expanded under both Vespasian and Titus).
Apparently the arena was even used for jousts and fairs during the middle ages. Today it is a concert, performance venue.
The 1st picture shows the extent of the building showing why I thought if the coliseum. The 2nd picture is in a tunnel under the structure and central performance area. The 3rd picture looks down on the remains of the functional space beneath what had been seats. Here and on the lower level is where gladiators, beasts, criminals, etc. were kept before their entry to the arena. The remaining 3 pictures look at various views of the arena.Read more