Grand Roman Amphitheatre

The Gallo-Roman amphitheater in Grand, Vosges, was one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman Empire with 17,000 seats. Located on the outskirts of the town, the amphitheater was built outside the ramparts of Grand in the 1st century AD. The builders of the day took advantage of the natural slopes of the valley when constructing this semi-elliptical theater. We were able to have a real sense of what the Grand Amphitheater looked like originally as the seating has been constructed over one-half of the original stone supports. The seating has been built to the original dimensions and height so that you have a real sn understanding of the size of the amphitheater.

The amphitheater was built in the  was abandoned in the 4th century with the rise of Christianity. The inhabitants of Grand then used the amphitheater as a quarry and for years to come they removed many of the structure’s stones to use for other purposes.

There was also an important sanctuary dedicated to Apollo Grannus, the god of healing. You can still see the remains of the rampart that surrounded the sacred enclosure.

Address

Rue de l'Amphithéâtre 16-18, Grand, France

Details

Founded: 1st century AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in France
Historical period: Roman Gaul (France)