Roman Amphitheatre of Italica

The Roman amphitheatre of Italica is a Roman amphitheatre in the Roman colonia of Italica –in present-day Santiponce, Spain–, in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica [1]. Built during the reign of emperor Hadrian, approximately between the years AD 117 and 138, it was one of the largest in the entire Roman Empire with a capacity of 25,000 spectators [1]. It was used for gladiatorial fights and combats between beasts or men and beasts during ancient Rome [1]. Italica was largely abandoned by the Romans in the 3rd century [1]. It was rediscovered during the Renaissance, in the 17th century, and work to unearth the amphitheatre began in the late 19th century [1]. Under the level of the old wooden floor of the amphitheater there was a service pit for the different gladiatorial shows and fights against wild beasts, called venatio [1]. The building was constructed using siliceous and calcareous pebbles [1]. The amphitheatre's cavea was divided into three sections, the ima, media and summa cavea, separated by annular corridors called praecinctions [1].