Roman Amphitheatre of Florence

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Model of the Roman amphitheatre in the Florence Museum

The Roman Amphitheatre of Florence was an ancient Roman structure in Florence, central Italy. It was located between Piazza dei Peruzzi, Via De' Bentaccordi and Via Torta; in these streets, you can see its remains.

Remains in Via De' Bentaccordi

When it was built between 124 and 130 AD, it was well outside the walls of Florence and the amphitheatre marked the point of maximum expansion east.

The amphitheatre had an elliptical shape with a diameter of 126 meters, with a capacity of about 20,000 seats, compared to 87,000 in the Colosseum in Rome. It was incorporated into other buildings during the medieval period. It has never been systematically excavated, but occasional discoveries were made such as in 1887.

In the second half of the 19th century, the area was in danger of being demolished during the work of the so-called Rehabilitation of Florence, to build a grand avenue between the Piazza della Signoria and Piazza Santa Croce, but the plan was never realized. A reconstruction of the amphitheatre in the Roman era and some related works are located in the Museo di Firenze com'era.