Roman Amphitheater - Martigny
N 46° 05.679 E 007° 04.411
32T E 351083 N 5106367
The Roman Amphitheater of Martigny was made of simple construction and could hold up to 5,000 people to watch gladiatorial games. It was restored in 1978.
Waymark Code: WM1KJJ
Location: Valais, Switzerland
Date Posted: 05/27/2007
Views: 93
Under the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius, (41-54 A.D.) Martigny, adminstrative center of the region occupied by the Gallic people called the Veragrii, was to know a particular destiny. Soon after coming to power, this emperor set out to conquer Britannia. To do it, he brought under the control of the empire, the most direct way which lead there and which crossed the Grand St-Bernard pass. At the same time, he politically reorganized the entire Valais district which then only formed a single "civitas" (city) the capital of which was a newly created town at the foot of the pass, in the cultivated fields of the plain of Martigny, situated to the side of Octodorus (the celtic settlement). He gave it the name of Forum Claudii Augusti (market of Claudius Augustus) which later became Forum Claudii Vallensium (market of Claudius in the land of the Valasians). This town was from then on one of the two residences of the governor of the province of Alpes Graiae.
The vestiges of this amphitheater are the only evidence of roman activity to have always been visible at Martigny. Back at the end of the 19th century it was the object of drilling and excavations but it remained quite unknown until 1978: by that time the Swiss Confederation acquired it and undertook systematic exploration and restoration. Its dimensions are very small: 75.50m in the long axis and 63.70 m in the short one. There is no infrastructure for corridors, nor for stairs or banisters: the cavea embankment simply consists in piled-up alluvium as digging the arena was going on. On the south-east side an arched carcer bore the authorities platform, the pulvinar, which was directly accessed from outside by an arched corridor.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free
Opening days/times:
24 x 7
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Completely intact or reconstructed
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