Nîmes’ twin-tiered amphitheatre is the best preserved in France. Built around 100 BC, the arena would have seated 24,000 spectators and staged gladiatorial contests and public executions, and it still provides an impressive venue for gigs, events and summer bullfights. An audioguide provides context as you explore the arena, seating areas, stairwells and corridors (rather marvellously known to Romans as vomitories ), and afterwards you can view replicas of gladiatorial armour and original bullfighters’ costumes in the museum.
At 133m long, 101m wide and 21m high, with an oval arena encircled by two tiers of arches and columns, the amphitheatre is a testament to the skill and ingenuity of Roman architects. Despite being adapted, plundered for stone and generally abused over many centuries, the structure of the amphitheatre is still largely intact, and it’s not hard to imagine what the atmosphere must have been like when it was filled to capacity.
The seating is divided into four tiers and 34 rows; the posher you were, the closer you sat to the centre. The amphitheatre’s oval design meant everyone had an unrestricted view. A system of trap-doors and hoist-lifts beneath the arena enabled animals and combatants to be put into position during the show. Originally, the amphitheatre would have had a canopy that protected spectators from the weather.
Since 2012 a project has been underway to clean limescale and pollution stains from the exterior, so there may be scaffolding when you visit.
