Arena (Amphitheatre)

Arena, the jewel of Roman architecture
The most prominent historical monument in Pula, without a doubt, is the Roman Amphitheatre. It is the sixth largest exiting amphitheatre in the world and is known as the Arena. Situated close to the coast, it obtained its presentday shape in the middle of the first century, although construction had started over a hundred years earlier, parallel with the organized migration of Romans to Istria and the formation of the first Roman colonies.

The Arena is located on a hillside. It has an elliptic shape and measures 132.5 m along its longer axis, and 106 m along its shorter axis. The area reserved for the audience could accommodate up to 25,000 spectators. The oval combat area measured 66 m along the longer axis and 40 m along the shorter. In the auxiliary rooms found directly beneath the combat area, wild animals were kept in cages. Additional equipment, needed for the games and for the spectacular public events held in the Arena, was also stored there. These events included gladiatorial combat, wild animal hunts and even public executions, where the condemned were brought before the wild animals.

In the eighteenth century researchers of Roman art began to take an interest in the Arena, one of the reasons for this being that it was the only amphitheatre with four square towers built into the outer wall. A wooden staircase, leading to the top, was housed within each tower. These towers also served as a means for reinforcing the stability of the construction. On a world scale it is significant because of the excellent state of its façade and the architectural elements and details found on the fourth floor.

Olive and Wine-growing of Istria in the Antiquity
Permanent exhibition

Opening hours:
01.01. - 31.03.: 09:00 - 17:00 (entrance until 16:30)
01.04. - 30.04.: 08:00 - 20:00 (entrance until 19:30)
01.05. - 31.05.: 08:00 - 21:00 (entrance until 20:30)
01.06. - 30.06.: 08:00 - 22:00 (entrance until 21:30)
01.07. - 31.08.: 08:00 - 23:00 (entrance until 22:30)
01.09. - 30.09.: 08:00 - 21:00 (entrance until 20:30)
01.10. - 31.10.: 09:00 - 19:00 (entrance until 18:30)
01.11. - 31.12.: 09:00 - 17:00 (entrance until 16:30)

Note for visitors:
The amphitheater is occasionally closed to the public throughout the year, especially in summer months, due to events.

Tickets:
Adults: 10 EUR
Pupils and students: 5 EUR

Exhibition in the amphitheatre’s underground:
Viticulture and Olive Oil Production in Istria During the Roman Period

The permanent exhibition in the underground gallery of the Pula Arena is dedicated to the production of olive oil and wine, which has traditionally been one of the most important branches of Istria's economy since Roman times. In addition to the presentation of oil extraction procedures through reconstructed Roman tools, olive mills and wine presses, in the second part of the exhibition you can also see the trade of amphorae in the northern Adriatic, which were used to transport these valued products in Roman times.

More about the amphitheatre:

» Arena: Roman legacy
» www.arenapula.hr

Contact info:
Flavijevska bb, HR-52100 Pula-Pola
T: +385 52 351 300, +385 99 499 0570
arheoloski-muzej-istre@pu.t-com.hr, uprava.ami@gmail.com
www.ami-pula.hr