Easily visible in today’s residential centre, the Amphitheatre of ancient Larinum (Larino) is an important archaeological monument. The funds for its construction were left to the city by an aristocrat, Capito, at the end of the 1st century C.E. as attested by the inscription found near the site, once fixed above one of the four entrances to the arena.
Inspired by the Emperors Vespasian and Titus, Capito endowed the municipium with an oval-shaped arena whose building took advantage of the hill of tuff in the area. The building, today missing most of the upper part, was entirely covered with blocks of stone and included awnings, service areas and underground systems that provided access to the arena for gladiators and the wild beasts.
Classifiable as a small to medium amphitheatre, the arena in Larinum could accommodate between 10,000 – 11,000 spectators. The social life of the city certainly underwent an evolution following its construction. The amphitheatre was used until the mid-third century CE.
