- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
Archaeological site, Rome (RM)
41°53′43″ N, 12°28′25″ E
No photo on Wikimedia Commons yet
Archaeological site
Amphitheater of Nero
Former wooden amphitheater in Rome
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura”
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological site
- Coordinates
- 41°53′43″ N, 12°28′25″ E
History and description
The Amphitheater of Nero was a wooden amphitheater built by the Roman emperor Nero around 64 AD.
Location
The amphitheater was situated on the Campus Martius, though its exact location remains unknown. Originally, it was thought to have been constructed on the site of the demolished amphitheater of Statilius Taurus, but it now seems more likely that it was built near the demolished amphitheater of Caligula to the north of the Saepta Julia.
History
According to historian Tacitus, work began on the amphitheater in 57 AD, the year of Nero's second consulship with Lucius Calpurnius Piso. Others argue that it was built after the Great Fire of Rome in 64 since Nero wanted to replace the amphitheater of Statilius Taurus, then the only stone amphitheater in Rome, which had been destroyed in the fire. It took only a year to complete and Nero held gladiatorial battles to inaugurate it. According to Suetonius' Life of Nero (XII, 2–3): "at the gladiatorial fights which he [Nero] gave in a wooden amphitheatre, built on the Campus Martius in less than a year, nobody was left to kill, even criminals. But he made 400 senators and 600 Roman equestrians fight". However, the building's wooden construction meant it did not last long and was probably destroyed in the fire of 80.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Amphitheater of Nero».
Getting there
Roma San PietroTrain, nearest
1.6 km as the crow flies
Amphitheater of Nero
Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino14.5 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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The town
Things to see in Rome2,748,109 inhabitants, 21 m above sea level. 1372 historic places in the town.PhotoBert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.01372 placesNearby
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More archaeological sites in Lazio
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- Free 1st Sunday
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Amphitheater of Nero?
Amphitheater of Nero is in Rome, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.89535, 12.47368.
What else is there to see near Amphitheater of Nero?
Nearby you’ll find: Theatre of Pompey (0 m away), Portico of Pompey (0 m away), Temple of Neptune (100 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences