Arenas of Lutèce

The arenas of Lutèce , built at the 1st century, are in fact a Roman Amphithéâtre . It is of a hybrid complex, type “amphitheater with scene” or “amphitheater-theater”, comprising at the same time a scene for the stage performances and an arena for the combat of gladiators and other plays of the amphitheater.

Description

This Amphitheater with scene, of a type running in Gaulle, could accommodate 17.000 spectators. The scene of theater a 41,20 m length, drawn up on the podium, is of considerable size. The combat of men and animals were held on the central track elliptic of 52,50 X 46,8 Mr.

History

It is probable that the arenas, built at the 1st century, remained in activity until the first destruction of Lutèce, at the end of the 3rd century. However, Chilpéric made repair this Amphithéâtre in 577 a. J. - C and made there give spectacles.

The oldest text referring to this enclosure is due to the English monk Alexandre Neckham (1157 - 1217) who describes what he saw with Paris towards 1180. It quotes the Roman Amphithéâtre. An act of November 1284 quotes “Areinnes in front of Saint-Victor”. Adrien de Valois publishes a text in 1675 locating the Amphithéâtre Lutèce.

Excavations To be occupied and Capitan

Between 1860 and 1869, the opening of the Rue Monge made it possible Theodore Vaquer to put at the day and to raise the first traces of the arenas. They were really released by excavation work of the general Compagnie of the slow trains, which wished to build a deposit of trams. The July 27th 1883, Victor Hugo addressed a letter to the municipal council of Paris to defend the arenas of Lutèce, threatened of destruction. A few days after, the council became purchaser of the vestiges of the amphitheater which was classified historic building. After the dismantling of the tram and his deposit in 1916 and the boring of the line 10 of the subway, the anthropologist Louis Capitan continued the excavations at the end of the First World War on another part of the arenas. Unfortunately the built buildings on the side of the street Monge did not make it possible to supplement the Cavea .

Arenas today

The arenas are today accessible through the building from the nº 47 of the Rue Monge, or by the Rue of the Arenas and the Square Capitan in the 5 {{E}} district of Paris. They are open the every day of 8:30 to 17:00 during the winter and 21:00 during the summer.

Gallery

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