Arena of Nîmes

The Arena of Nîmes is situated in the French city of Nîmes. The building external facade is 21 m high decorated with 120 arches divided over 2 levels. Inside is an elliptical area 133 m long by 101 m wide, and surrounded by 34 rows of seats supported by a vaulted construction. In the old times it had a capacity of 24,000 spectators but today holds just over 16,000.

Built around 70 AD, it used to host gladiator fights and animal hunts. After the fall of the Roman empire, Nimes Arena began to play a military role and was transformed from a sports arena to a castle fortress complete with a moat. During those times, Nimes Arena served as a sort of emergency shelter for the people of the town in the event of attack. In the 12th century, the arena became the seat of the viscounty of Nimes and home to a chateau. In the 18th century, it became a town of its own with a population of 700 living within its walls. It was only in 1786 that Nimes Arena began to be restored to its original grandeur. It was finally remodelled in 1863 to serve as a bullring. Today, this amphitheatre constitutes one of Nîmes’s main performance venues. During the famous Feria festival the arena host several bullfighting shows. In summer, the amphitheatres come alive to the rhythm of the concerts that are held here.