Nestled within the coastal city of Pula, Croatia, along the Adriatic Sea, is the famous Pula Arena. This ancient Roman amphitheater is truly one of a kind. It is the best preserved Roman amphitheater in the world and the best preserved archaeological site in Croatia. It is the only Roman amphitheater to have all four side towers with the three original Roman architectural orders (the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns) still extant.

The Great Roman Pula Amphitheater

Amphitheater literally means “theater all around” and as such, this amphitheater is a circular open-air theater. The amphitheater at Pula was built on a hillside between 27 BC and 68 AD.  At that time, Pula, then known as Pietas Julia, was part of the expansive Roman Empire and served as a major port city.  The ancient Romans built the Pula Arena along with two theaters as venues to provide entertainment for their constituents.  

This amphitheater was built about 200 meters outside of the city walls along an old Roman road that led to Aquileia then Rome.  Initially, it was built entirely of wood.  They soon replaced the wood structure with stone, though it was smaller in size.  The amphitheater was expanded between 79 and 81 AD so that it would be able to house gladiator fights.  It was made to be large enough to hold approximately 23,000 people (this number includes those seated in seats and along the stairways, and standing as well) which was large enough to accommodate the entire population of Pula as well as the neighboring villages.  Spectators who came to the amphitheater did not have to pay any admission fee, but there was pre-arranged formalized seating along the cavea (the seats) depending on the spectators social class.

The Romans quarried the limestone from a  local source.  The amphitheater was made to be three stories high (though along the slope, they only needed to build two stories). The first two stories have arches and the third story up top has rectangular openings. The four intact towers along the wall actually served to support the outer wall and make it more architecturally sound.  Reservoirs for water were also stored within these towers.  Back in Roman times, they were able to drape sail-like cloth over the entire amphitheater to protect the spectators from the sun.

Up until the 5th century when it was finally outlawed, gladiators, convicts sentenced to death, and animals fought within these walls.  During these contests, the floor of the arena was covered in sand that would soak up the blood from the fights and was easy enough to remove.  There are passageways underground, that today lead to an archaeological museum, which the fighters and animals used to enter and exit the arena.  In addition to fighting, public legal proceedings were also held here.  In the 4th century, St. Germanus, who today is the patron saint of Pula, was sentenced to death and martyred outside of the amphitheater walls.

The Middle Ages

Over time, locals had slowly removed some of the stones for personal use, but the amphitheater stood strong.  The Knights of Malta would hold tournaments within the amphitheater walls.  Locals also used the venue as a setting for their fairs and as a place for their animals to graze

Restoration began in the early 1800s under General Auguste de Marmont, the French governor who oversaw the Illyrian Provinces of which Pula was part of.

The Pula Arena Today

The official name of the amphitheater is the Pula Arena.  Today, with 12,500 spots including standing room and 7,000 seats,it is a popular venue.  The arena houses mostly musical concerts, but it also is home to annual film festival and is sometimes used for sports and as a filming location.

Archaeology Museum

Visitors can take passageways underground to the archaeological museum below the amphitheater.  The museum is part of the larger Archaeological Museum of Istria which also includes the Temple of Augustus and Nesactium.  Today, visitors can learn about olive oil production during Roman times on the Istria peninsula as well as the trade of amphorae used to transport that olive oil (and wine).  Back in Roman times, these underground caverns used to house the animals used for entertainment as well as various other tools.

Where is it Located?

The Pula Arena is located at 52100 Flavijevska Ulica in the city of Pula, Croatia.  It is about 200 meters outside and northeast of the old city walls.