Amphitheater of Saintes

The Gallo-Roman amphitheater of Saintes was started under the reign of Emperor Tiberius and completed under Claudius, around 40 AD. It was located in Mediolanum Santonum (modern-day Saintes), the capital of the civitas santonum (the city of the Santons, an administrative Roman subdivision) and of the province of Gallia Aquitania.

The amphitheater was designed to host a large number of spectators for bloody and violent performances. It provided the people with entertainment and food, “panem et circenses” according to the expression of Juvenal.

The amphitheater of Saintes measured 126 meters in the major axis and 102 meters in the minor axis, accommodating between 12,000 and 15,000 people. It is recognizable by its unique structure: the cavea, or seating area, was supported on the slopes of the valley to the east and on a embankment to the west. The tiers were directly supported on the valley whose slopes were excavated. Nearly a hundred entrances allowed spectators to reach the different levels of the cavea, which had about thirty tiers.

The arena measured 66.5 meters in length by 39 meters in width and was surrounded by a wall made of large blocks 2 meters high.

Two large east and west gates of the amphitheater connected to the outside. The Sanavivaria gate, where the pompa entered and where victorious gladiators exited, was known as the gate of the living. The Libitinensis gate, recalling the goddess of funerals, otherwise known as the gate of the dead, was where the bodies of the gladiators and animals killed were taken out to be buried nearby in a necropolis. This gate is now filled in.

At the mid-slope of the seating area, on the south side, flows a small fountain, known as the Sainte-Eustelle fountain. Eustelle was the daughter of a Roman governor who was converted to Christianity by Saint Eutrope, the first bishop of Saintes.

The amphitheater was used as a quarry during the Middle Ages and was not excavated and restored until the 20th century. Only the arena and the foundations of the building remain; some seating tiers have been excavated and highlighted. It is now one of the best-preserved amphitheaters in Gallia Comata, that is to say, Belgium and France. Despite the disappearance of most of the superstructures, the remains provide an accurate picture of what this amphitheater might have been during its splendor.

In 1840, the amphitheater was added to the first list of historic monuments, its classification being confirmed in 19141.

During the 20th century, the amphitheater hosted numerous lyric performances, a tradition that continues today with "Sites en scène" performances in August. Today, this site is quieter and welcomes visitors year-round for free or guided tours. Festivals and concerts allow the arena to be animated once again as in Roman times.

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