Everything about Amphitheatres totally explained
The name
amphitheatre (alternatively
amphitheater) refers to a level, open space surrounded by an oval area that gradually ascends. The area may be a man-made structure or a natural geographic formation, but it's suited for seating people on the sloping area for the viewing of spectator sports, games, concerts, displays, rallies, or theatrical performances. An amphitheatre can be classified as either an
ancient amphitheatre, a
contemporary amphitheatre, or a
natural amphitheatre.
Roman amphitheatres
There are many famous examples from
Classical period (being particularly associated with
ancient Rome amphitheatres were used for various types of public spectacles. In the
Roman Empire, amphitheatres were round or oval in shape (created originally from two wooden
theatres joined together, hence the name "Amphi"-theatre), forming a complete circle or ellipse, and were used for spectator sports, games and displays.
This is in contrast to a Greek or Roman
classical theatre, which was semi-circular and used for
theatrical performances (also gladiators in areas where amphitheaters were not available). An amphitheatre also differed from a
Roman circus or
Greek hippodrome, both of which were used for
chariot racing and
horse racing and were shaped more like a very long, narrow
horse shoe.
The best-known amphitheatre in the world is the
Colosseum in
Rome, which is more correctly termed the
Flavian amphitheatre (Amphitheatrum Flavium), after the
Flavian dynasty who had it built. An amphitheatre in a community became a prized symbol of
Roman citizenship in the outlying areas of
Italy. In the small town of
Larino, in the
Molise, a man who had made his fortune in far away
Rome financed the construction of an oval amphitheatre that could house ten thousand spectators. In fact, the amphitheatre in Larino predates the Colosseum. The remains of some 230 amphitheatres have been located in widely scattered areas of the Roman Empire.
» See also: List of Roman amphitheatres.
Contemporary amphitheatres
A
contemporary amphitheatre is a curved, acoustically vibrant performance space, particularly one located outdoors. Contemporary amphitheatres often include standing structures, sometimes curved or "bowl" shaped, both behind the stage and behind the audience, creating an area which echoes or amplifies sound, making the amphitheatre ideal for musical or theatrical performances. Most are semi-circular in shape, and so shouldn't properly be called amphitheatres. Notable modern amphitheatres include the
Gibson Amphitheatre and the
Hollywood Bowl; the largest amphitheatre in
North America is the
Hyundai Pavilion in
Devore, California, with a
seating capacity of 65,000.
See also: List of contemporary amphitheatres.
Natural amphitheatres
A
natural amphitheatre is a performance space located in a spot where a steep mountain or a particular rock formation naturally amplifies or echoes sound, making it ideal for musical and theatrical performances. The term amphitheatre can also be used to describe naturally occurring formations which would be ideal for this purpose, even if no theatre has been constructed there. Notable natural amphitheatres include the
Drakensberg amphitheatre in
Drakensberg,
South Africa,
Slane Castle in
Ireland,
Echo amphitheatre,
Red Rocks Amphitheatre and
The Gorge Amphitheatre, all of which are in the
United States.
Gallery
Image:PL-amphitheater.jpg|Greek style amphitheatre at PLNU
Image:Colosseum-profile-english.png|Profile of the Colosseum
Image:Colosseum-interior.01.JPG|An interior of the Colosseum.
Image:Amfitheater.jpg|The amphitheatre of Arles (Arelate).
Image:Verona_Arena_inside_view.jpg|Inside of Verona Arena with scenery for an opera performance, summer 1994
Image:Amph1.jpg|A corporate amphitheatre, used for presentations and meetings
Image:Gibson amphitheatre pano.jpg|Gibson Amphitheatre, a large indoor concert venue
Image:Overton_park_shell.jpg|Overton Park Shell in Memphis, Tennessee
Further Information
Get more info on 'Amphitheatres'.
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