Roman Amphiteatre

As part of our UNESCO funded history tour, well, I wish. Anyway, Lyon has been an important location for centuries. After Julius Caesar received the working end of Mark Antony’s sword, the Roman Senate ordered a couple of Jules friends to build a city for Roman refugees. The refugees had been expelled from Vienne and were camped on the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers. (Sound familiar????)

So skipping the details, the city was built on Fourviere hill by the Rhone called, “Colonia Copia Felix Munatia” or Lugdunum, often translated to mean “Blessing of the Gods” and the latter, “Desired Mountain”. That was back in 43BC. Lots of Roman type things took place here; the Emperor Claudius was born here and one of his speeches that was cast in bronze is displayed at the museum. And Emperor Marcus Aurelious (remember the Gladiator movie guy, well he was real) who in 177AD, had ~50 Christian citizens tortured and killed in the amphitheater.

The construction of the amphitheater was around 19AD and expanded sometime between 130 – 136AD. The size is approximately 345′ X 200′ and seats roughly 20,000 people. Formally known as the “Amphitheater of the Three Gauls” it was built for the cult of Rome and Augustus. A second, smaller amphitheater is also part of this compound.

Today the amphitheater is open to the general public. Modern plays and events are held here where viewers sit on the same stone seats that were used to view the Christian murders thousands of years ago. The area also hosts a fabulous museum that is 5-6 levels below ground and houses hundreds of artifacts, including the remaining part of the bronzed speech from  Emperor Claudius. Reasonable to tour at 4EU.