Salona Amphitheatre

Solin, Croatia

At the northwest end of Salona’s town limits, subsequently fortified, there is an amphitheatre, which forms part of the town defence system. Its remains are comparatively well-preserved, showing the benefits of the well known reconstruction made by the Danish archaeologist Ejnar Dyggve. 

Dyggve considers that the amphitheatre was designed by Roman architects who performed similar tasks elsewhere too, and that it was built in the second half of the second century AD. Today, we can see only the lower parts of its large walls, largely reconstructed in the 1950s. During the Venetian époque, it was intentionally damaged to prevent it from being used by the Turkish units during their war with Venice in the 16th and the 17th centuries. After that, it was used as a quarry from where stone for house building was being taken, like in many other places.

It is believed that it could have accommodated about fifteen thousand, or even more, spectators. In order to enable fast entrance to and evacuation from the auditorium, a double system of communications was designed: radial, as related to the building ellipse, and circular, as related to the levels of the seat rows. Such a system is quite often at large sports’ stadiums of today. Because of its location along the northern and, partly, the western town walls. Its main entrances must have been in the south and the east walls, which is a deviation from the system comprising two entrances in the east – west longitudinal axis. On its northern side, it stood on elevated soil, some of the walls built on marl (still visible) having therefore no foundations, unlike the other sides. On the southern side, and also on parts of the western and eastern sides, it had three floors: two with arcades and the third with rectangular windows.

In the vicinity of the amphitheatre, to its south, there was a cemetery for gladiators killed in the arena. From their epitaphs, we learn their names, origins, homelands and fighting specialities.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 2nd century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Croatia

More Information

solin-info.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maria Shadbolt (2 years ago)
Fascinating and informative information beside each ruin.. a must see for an insight of a thriving town of 60,000 with amphitheatre holding 17,000, theatre 3500, temples and baths
Andy Mac (2 years ago)
Fantastic site of Roman ruins, especially if you prefer more 'free-roaming' sites without all the "keep out" barriers. An easy 40 minute bus ride and walk from the old city. Be prepared to head straight to the ticket office, or else the security guards are quite abrupt to deal with, but the ticket office seemed genuine enough that I had no issue paying the 8€ entry (and half price for students!). The amphitheatre is amazing to walk around, and the pathway to the old Roman city is a beautiful wander down a tree-lined lane. Once you are among the ruins, they are well worth exploring, and the Dalmatian mountians make for a gorgeous backdrop. The ruins could be seen in about an hour if necessary (about 2.5hrs all up, depending on bus times), making it an excellent way to fill in a bit of time between other activities. Unfortunately the site is not accessibility friendly - those with mobility issues will find it difficult or impossible to navigate the steep paths and steps. No matter the weather, bring something to sheild you from the elements, as there is not a lot of shelter in this site.
Tori Leslie (2 years ago)
We actually live in Split and had never been to Solona until our friends came to visit. The Roman ruins are amazing and the size of the site is very impressive; lots to explore. The tickets were very inexpensive compared to most things in the area and very worth it. Just FYI, bring bottled water, it gets hot out there!
Joanne Loncaric (2 years ago)
This was fantastic and you can walk around and see it up close. A lot to see.
Charley Christopher (2 years ago)
Incredible ruins, can't believe how well they are kept and how much is left. Not much shade so make sure you have water on hot days as it is quite a walk from the main ticket office.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.