Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · editedPiazza Anfiteatro
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Stefano Sansavini · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Why go
- The Roman arena hosted horse races and gladiator fights.
- The annual flower market for Saint Zita’s feast takes place on 27 April.
Don't miss
- Cross in the central pavingAn engraved cross marks the arena’s axes and the four entrance gates.At the centre of the square.
- Eastern entrance archThe only surviving ancient Roman entrance arch is wider and lower than the other three and aligns with an original amphitheatre entrance.At the eastern entrance.
Know before you go
- Open 24 hours every day.
Tips for your visit
- Follow Via dell’Anfiteatro around most of the surrounding buildings to see the oval from outside.
- For a break overlooking the square, use one of the outdoor cafés.
Interesting facts3
-
The square’s floor is about three metres above the Roman arena.
Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - Wikipedia -
50 metres
The oval square measures about 75 by 50 metres and covers roughly 3,000 square metres.
Place de l'Amphithéâtre (Lucques) - Wikipedia -
10,000 spectators
The amphitheatre’s seating had nearly twenty tiers and could hold about 10,000 spectators.
Place de l'Amphithéâtre (Lucques) - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Medieval houses rose where spectators once sat. Nottolini’s later market plan cleared small buildings from the centre while retaining the existing meat trade. The square now hosts exhibitions, concerts, festivals and markets.
- Late 1st–early 2nd century ADThe amphitheatre was built outside the Roman town walls.
- Around 1000A prison called Carceri del Sasso was established in the ruins.
- Around 1800The site housed a slaughterhouse; its other uses included salt and saltpetre storage and a powder magazine.
- 1819Architect Lorenzo Nottolini proposed reshaping the site for a food market.
- 1830Work began after approval on 16 August.
Show all
- 1839The new market opened on 1 October.
- First half of the 20th centuryThe market moved to Mercato del Carmine, after which the square gradually fell into disrepair.
- 1970sThe square was fully restored.
Sources: Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - Wikipedia · Lucca - Wikivoyage (see) · Piazza dell’Anfiteatro - Wikipedia · Place de l'Amphithéâtre (Lucques) - Wikipedia · Piazza dell'Anfiteatro - Wikipedia · checked 6 Oct 2026
- Phone
- +39 0583 4422
Questions and answers
Where is the main entrance to Piazza Anfiteatro?
By Piazza Scarpellini, off Via Fillungo.
What businesses surround Piazza Anfiteatro?
Restaurants, bars and souvenir shops occupy the surrounding buildings alongside private homes.
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