The Roman amphitheatre stood on the outskirts of the city of Ariminum, close to what was once the coastline. Oval in shape, its external dimensions were 118 by 88 metres, with an arena of 73 by 44 metres, only slightly smaller than the largest amphitheatres built. Rimini's amphitheatre was used for gladiator fights that attracted a vast public of at least 12,000 spectators.
In addition to the two main entrances at each end of the structure, there were several smaller ones that led to a corridor running right round the edge of the amphitheatre, and this opened onto steps leading to the stone seating tiers. Built in the second century AD, as shown by a coin from the reign of Hadrian found embedded in a wall, the amphitheatre had two storeys. The rather plain brickwork structure, which had an external arcade with 60 arches, must have been most impressive, particularly for those reaching Rimini by sea.
When the city was forced to defend itself against the Barbarian invasions of the third century, the outer part of the amphitheatre was incorporated into its new ring of defensive walls. Deprived of its original function, in the Middle Ages it was used for market gardens, and in the 1600's a lazaretto was constructed here, connected with the church and monastery of Santa Maria in Turre Muro. The amphitheatre was then forgotten until in the 1800's Luigi Tonini rediscovered part of the original structure. The entire southern and western section, over which the Italo-Swiss Educational Centre stands, is still covered.
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