ROMAN AMPHITEATRE
This beautiful example of roman architecture is one of the best examples in the world and certainly the best outside of Italy. While it takes its inspiration from the Coliseum in Rome, its technical design is much improved as seen in the method of easy access for the public and directly to the centre stage. The arena dates from the first century BC and is an amphitheatre with a two storey arcaded façade of sixty arches that takes. Its elliptical design and is 133M long and 101M wide and it two storeys occupy 21M in height. It is made entirely of stone without the use of mortar. The top has projecting stones that accommodated the velium, the fabric used to protect the spectators from the sun and inclement weather. The ground floor arches supported by Tuscan columns allow entrance to the main amphitheatre. Its ingenuity is in its ease of access through four main gateways that lead to 124 passageways, corridors and vaults on to the four tiers of seating, divided into thirty five rows, to a capacity of more than 20,000. There are base reliefs depicting scenes of bulls and gladiators fighting. You can also identify a scene depicting the mythical founders of Roma Romulus and Remus being nursed by the she wolf. The arena was constructed with stone from Barutel and Roquemaillère. As with other amphitheatres, it was used for spectacles of gladiatorial combat. During the eight century the amphitheatre was used as a fortress to protect the citizens of Nîmes and became home to some 2000 people. Today it is used, during the summer, for bullfights and so has recovered some of its original blood letting aspect.
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