Arènes (Arena)

Arènes (Arena) Review

This arena is considered the best-preserved Roman amphitheater in the world. A miniature of the Colosseum in Rome (note the small carvings of Romulus and Remus—the wrestling gladiators—on the exterior and the intricate bulls' heads etched into the stone over the entrance on the north side), it stands more than 520 feet long and 330 feet wide, and has a seating capacity of 24,000. Bloody gladiator battles, criminals being thrown to animals, and theatrical wild-boar chases drew crowds to its bleachers—and the vomitoria beneath them. Nowadays its most colorful use is the corrida, the bullfight that transforms the arena (and all of Nîmes) into a sangria-flushed homage to Spain. Concerts are held year-round thanks to a new high-tech glass-and-steel structure that covers the arena for winter use.