Volterra's Roman Amphitheater Reveals Gladiator Arena

Excavations at the Roman amphitheater of Volterra have uncovered the arena floor, eight meters below ground level, where gladiators once performed. The dig, directed by Elena Sorge under the supervision of the cities of Pisa and Livorno, involves a team of over twenty restorers, archaeologists, workers, topographers, and engineers. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini visited the site, calling it an extraordinary discovery and praising the collaboration among the Soprintendenza, research centers, universities, and CNR. He announced that additional funding beyond the ordinary budget will be secured, estimated at around five million euros for the main work plus three million for ancillary projects like roads and pathways. The excavations have also revealed traces of the podium, a corridor used for the entrance of wild animals, and remnants of a door including its hinge. Ancient consolidation interventions indicate the structure, discovered by chance in July 2015, was never very stable; even today, the southern side risks collapse. Built presumably in the 1st century AD during the Augustan era, the elliptical amphitheater extends over 80 by 60 meters near the Etruscan Diana gate. Found a few hundred meters from the Roman theater discovered in the 1950s, the amphitheater could rewrite the history of Roman Volterra, long overshadowed by its Etruscan past. Only a quarter of its secrets have been revealed so far.