Toulouse Roman Amphitheatre, Toulouse, France

The amphitheatre of Toulouse-Purpan is constructed on a filled structure, unlike those in Arles, Nîmes, and the Colosseum in Rome, where a hollow structure composed of vaults and pillars supports the tiers. The cavea (the rows of seats intended to receive the public) is fifteen meters wide. This area is separated from the arena by a wall and bound at the outside by a high wall covered in brick. The cavea is divided into equal segments compartmentalized by twenty-three arched horizontal corridors, the vomitoria.

The main entrance to the amphitheatre is located to the north of the arena and is 4.20 meters wide. The arch reproduces the height of the curved vault, which once covered the entry passage. The almond-like arena is sixty-two meters long by forty-six meters wide. Underneath this surface lies an underground network of drains, which leads to a vast ruined well in the center. This well catches the rainwater and allows for the rapid drainage of the arena, even today.

Abandoned at the end of the fourth century, the amphitheatre came to serve as a quarry. In this manner, the monument was completely stripped of its brick facing.

References:

livius.org

User Reviews

Mathieu Longo (2 years ago)
Fermé une partie de l'année. On en fait vite le tour. Heureusement, le prix de l'entrée au site n'est pas cher.

Eva Arangoïs (2 years ago)
Vraiment sympathique mais sans accompagnateur c'est compliqué de comprendre quoi que ce soit puisqu'il n'y a pas de panneaux.

Arno (2 years ago)
L'architecture de l'amphithéâtre de Tolosa est carcatérisée par l'utilisation de la brique et d'une structure pleine.

Mehfou M (3 years ago)
Je n'y suis pas resté longtemps mais je n'ai vue aucune personne après 10 minutes d'attente le jour où je me trouvé la bas donc pour ma part le services est long mais quand la personne est arrivé on ma proposer un service de bonne qualité ! Merci .

Karo M (3 years ago)
La visite guidée( 1h 30 environ pour les l'amphi et les thermes ) est indispensable pour accompagner la visite des thermes et l'amphithéâtre sinon vous allez penser que vous vous êtes déplacés pour pas grand chose alors que c'est un lieu magnifique chargé d'histoire et qu'il y a beaucoup à dire dessus

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Giåm

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Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus, is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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Toulouse Roman Amphitheatre

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