The Sands of Lutetia in Paris

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Roman civilization left a tremendous mark in many places, especially in Italy, of course, but there are many other cities that also have something Roman in their city. This is the case of Paris , which has a Roman amphitheater called Las Arenas de Lutecia and which was discovered during works in 1869. At the time it had capacity for 15,000 people and all kinds of shows were held there, but especially theater and gladiator fights.

This amphieater is next to the Jardin des Plantes and although it is not one of the great attractions of the French capital, you will certainly not regret it if you visit it. I think it is ideal to visit once you go to Paris for the second time or if you go many days and you have already seen the essentials. If you like archaeological sites and the Roman world, then it must be a must-see. It is named after Lutecia because it was a Gallo-Roman city that was on the outskirts of what is now Paris.

Las Arenas de Lutecia was in operation for almost two centuries and the theater scene is about 40 meters long. The shape of the amphitheater is somewhat different from those that were built at that time since it does not have the typical oval shape of almost all Latin amphitheatres . The funny thing is that you can walk in front of it and practically not find out, since it is when you are crossing number 49 Rue Monge, a door that does not attract attention and does not indicate what is inside.

The amphitheater underwent a reconstruction in 1918 and today it is as it was left on that occasion, of course with the damage that the passage of time may have caused and that have always been to make it more spectacular. Today many children play soccer there and many people sit in the stands to have a drink while enjoying the good weather. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in winter and until 9:00 p.m. in summer.