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Amphitheatre of Trebula Mutuesca in Monteleone Sabino: the arena that Trajan wanted rebuilt
The amphitheatre of Trebula Mutuesca is located about 1 km from Monteleone Sabino, in the province of Rieti. The building, a centre of attraction for the people of Sabina, is partly carved into the rock and partly built with a mixed opus reticulatum and brickwork construction.
A construction site since 1958
The first to identify the structure in modern times was Giuseppe Guattani, at the beginning of the 19th century. For decades, only a tall wall was visible through the vegetation. In 1958, four young archaeologists — Adriano La Regina, Filippo Coarelli, Mario Torelli and Fausto Zevi — began working on it by way of a training exercise. In 1998, thanks to European funding, excavations resumed, and brought to light nearly the entire amphitheatre. In 2020, the Soprintendenza (Superintendency) launched a project to make the arena usable again for performances.
What you can see
The Amphitheatre of Trebula Mutuesca had 33 radial chambers that supported the cavea, two entrances at the ends of the major axis, and an underground gallery, once reachable from the forum through an underground corridor: a half-moon-shaped room with a large niche and limestone corbels that supported a wooden platform. The barrel vault has collapsed, but the structure is still clear to see.
Trajan's inscriptions
During the digs, two large inscriptions in Luna marble, dating to 115 AD, were uncovered. They mention the rebuilding of the amphitheatre, commissioned by Emperor Trajan. One is displayed in the Museum, the other is preserved at the site of the amphitheatre.
