Roman Amphitheatre of Lecce

The amphitheater testifies to the importance that Lecce reached in Roman times. Although there is no certainty about the dating of this work, the most accredited theses attribute it to the will of the emperor Augustus (1st and 2nd century AD). Over the centuries the different dominations and natural events have drastically changed the appearance of this part of the city until the Roman structure has completely disappeared. It was only during the construction of the Bank of Italy headquarters, which took place in the early years of the twentieth century, that the first remains of this work came to light. The visible part today is only a third of the original structure, which could accommodate up to 25,000 people, the rest is still buried under the pavement of Piazza Sant'Oronzo.

The amphitheater is located in Piazza S. Oronzo.
The construction dates back to the 2nd century. AD and served to entertain the Roman garrisons stationed in the area.
Earthquakes and destruction over the centuries reduced the theater to rubble, and all trace of it was lost by the end of World War II. Only then was it rediscovered during excavations.
The section that is visible today represents only two-thirds of the actual surface, the rest of the tiers were above street level and no longer exist.
It has been calculated that the total surface is about 102x83m, with a stage of 53x34m with a capacity of about 25,000 spectators (Source: nelsalento.de/lecce/amphitheater/)

The amphitheater is located right in the heart of Lecce, in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. In ancient times it was located on the eastern outskirts of the city. It was built under Emperor Augustus with a size of 102 m × 83 m and could hold 14,000-25,000 spectators.
The tufa columns and rounded floors are well preserved and parts of friezes and inscriptions have been unearthed during excavations.
A pre-Roman necropolis with inscriptions was also discovered near the amphitheater.
Source: viva-italia.it/Regionen/Apulien/Lecce.php