Anfiteatro romano di Cagliari

The Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari is a first- to second-century structure partly quarried into the limestone of Buoncammino hill.

Why it matters

The amphitheatre is among the most significant Roman public buildings in Sardinia. Its combination of rock-cut seating, built masonry and service spaces illustrates the scale and engineering of Roman Carales.

What to notice

The cavea, arena and service corridors are carved into the hillside, with surviving sections built in limestone blocks. Subterranean spaces beneath the seating served the arena, and channels carried rainwater from the cavea to a collection basin.

Context and history

Construction began around the end of the first or start of the second century CE, when Carales was an administrative centre. The amphitheatre was later quarried for building stone. Archaeologist Giovanni Spano led excavations in the 1860s, followed by Doro Levi's work in 1937–38. A temporary concert structure installed between 2000 and 2011 was later removed.