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The Roman Amphitheatre in Sutri: the incredible arena hewn out of rock in the heart of Tuscia
It was not built, but carved. This is the first thing to know about the Roman Amphitheatre of Sutri. Nestled within the Archaeological Park of Sutri, this monument is one of the rarest examples worldwide of an arena carved entirely from rock. Its tiers and corridors were literally extracted from a tufa hill between the end of the Republican and beginning of the Imperial eras.
A 19th-century rediscovery
It seems incredible, but until the early 19th century this place was completely buried, and used as a cultivated field. It was the Savorelli marquises, owners of the villa that dominates the area, who financed excavations between 1835 and 1838. And so, metre by metre, the arena came back to light.
Inside the tufa arena
Today visitors can walk through the ambulatory — the great ring-shaped corridor at the base — and imagine the roughly seven thousand spectators seated on the various tiers. These were divided by social class, from the front rows reserved for high-ranking figures to the upper sections for the common people. Visitors entered and exited through the vomitoria, lateral passageways that can still be walked through today.
The amphitheatre is the centrepiece of the Urban Archaeological Park of Sutri, which also includes a necropolis and a mithraeum. Opening hours may vary, so it is always advisable to consult the official portal of the Regional Directorate of Museums Lazio or the Ministry of Culture before setting out.
