Excavations

AMPHITEATRUM SERDICENSE

THE AMPHITEATER OF ANCIENT SERDICA (AMPHITEATRUM SERDICENSE)

In 1919 a stone plate-placard was discovered not far from the building of the Council of Ministers in Sofia. The archeological finding revealed spectacular picture of fights between man and beasts (wild cats, alligators, bears, bulls) providing a clear sign that once there was a fighting arena on the territory of Roman Serdica. The stone placard was put up at the entrance to the city and its purpose was to advertise the events on the arena. Today it is exposed at the National Museum of History in Sofia.

The remains of a large Roman building were discovered 85 years later (in 2004) during the ground survey for the Arena di Serdica Hotel, a member of the FPI Hotels & Resorts chain. Located outside the ancient city walls near the Eastern gate the amphitheatre was an architectural ensemble with a central role in the life of Serdica. Research of the site showed that there was a theatre (built in 2nd or 3rd century AD) 5 m beneath the amphitheatre. The combination of Roman theatre and a late-antique amphitheatre makes the finding unique and sensational.

The large number of coins and ceramic vessels found allows the experts to define two periods of its construction – the end of the 3rd century and the first decades of the 4th century A.D. (began under the rule of the Emperor Diocletian and finished by Constantine The Great). After the splendour of imperial times, the Amphitheatre of Serdica was abandoned and in turn it became a source of building materials.

Today the ancient remains are preserved in their genuine appearance. The clay stones still keep the footprints of animals – goats, dogs, cats. Here you can see the rooms for the gladiators, actors and beasts and the Eastern entrance for the battle chariots. The fighting arena is covered with sand as it was in the past (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena). It was surrounded by spectator seats and 7 of them are preserved today in their original positions.  

There are only 77 ancient amphitheatres discovered all over the world by now. The arena of Serdica amphitheatre was an oval and with its measures of 60 by 43 meters it is only few meters shorter than the Roman Coliseum (the greatest amphitheatre of the antiquity). Its capacity was about 25 000 spectators.

18 centuries later the arena welcomes guests again. The restored 1/6 of the ancient amphitheatre of Serdica is properly preserved and exposed at the ground floor of the unique 5 star-rated Arena di Serdica Residence Hotel. The access to the archeological remains is free from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.