L'amphithéâtre de Fréjus : archéologie et architecture, relecture d'un monument

A symbolic landmark of modern day Fréjus as it must have been of the Gallo-Roman city, the amphitheatre was built outside the town wall, against the North West corner of the rocky outcron on which the Roman town was laid out. Today it stands without its top tier of seating. Its crowning portico and its facade are missing as well. The archaeological excavations and a new architectural study that were carried out in 2006/2007 were the starting point of a conservation and upgrading programme which was part of the project « Plan Patrimoine Antique ».

It is likely that this impressive entertainment complex, which could accommodate about 10 000 spectators, was built no earlier than the beginning of the second century AD. Although evidence of previous building activity has been found, it is not clear yet whether there was an earlier amphitheatre on this site. The configuration of the external façade was determined by the evidence from the excavation of the foundations and the recent discovery of blocks of stone that had been quarried during the dismantling of the amphitheatre. The building techniques and masonry work together with their adaptation to the topography of the site were reassessed. For the first time the organisation of the building site became apparent as we found evidence of the sequence of the different building phases. However, certain aspects of how the amphitheatre functioned remain unsolved; we still need to elucidate some elements of the water drainage system. Nevertheless, we have been able to determine the function and the shape of areas such as the box for the presiding dignitaries, the main entrance way and how the flow of people inside the monument was coordinated.