Amiens amphitheatre

About

The Amiens amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre built in the city of Samarobriva, now Amiens in the French department of the Somme. The amphitheatre is built in the heart of the ancient city, a very rare situation in Roman Gaul, and in the immediate vicinity of the forum. It is built between the late 1st and mid 2nd century and measures 113 × 99 m. Its rare remains are buried under Amiens City Hall and surrounding grounds.

Location: In most of the cities of Roman Gaul, the amphitheatre is rejected outside the limits of the city for reasons such as urban planning and ease of movement around the monument. The situation in Samarobriva is completely different since the amphitheatre occupies a central place in the city. Moreover, it is contiguous to the Roman forum built before it and aligns itself with it as well as with the axes of the road. This settlement is very rare in Gaul and is only found in Divona (Cahors). In the modern city, the amphitheater is partially covered by the city hall of Amiens; its cellar is located in the islet bounded to the west by rue Léon-Blum, to the north by rue de Metz, to the east by rue Albert...