Amphitheatre of Capua

The Amphitheatre of Capua was a Roman amphitheatre in the ancient city of Capua, second only to the Colosseum in size and probably the model for it [1]. Like all amphitheatres, the building had an elliptical plan [1]. Its dimensions approach those of the Colosseum in Rome, with which it shares so many structural features that the Capuan amphitheatre is believed to have provided the direct model for the Colosseum [1]. The major axis of the structure is 170 metres and the minor axis is 139 metres [1]. The façade had a total height of 46 metres, divided into four levels, all of the Tuscan order [1]. The lower three levels consisted of 80 arches, each made of travertine and decorated with a bust of a god in the keystone [1]. The structure was used as a fortress by the Lombard princes of Capua [1].