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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Rhône

  5. 69000 Lyon 1er

  6. Roman Federal Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls

 Roman Federal Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls à Lyon 1er dans le Rhône

Patrimoine classé
Vestiges Gallo-romain
Amphithéâtre gallo-romain

Roman Federal Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls

    Rue des Tables-Claudiennes
    69000 Lyon 1er
Ownership of the municipality
Museums of France
All Gallo-Roman remains of France Gallo-Roman amphitheatre
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Amphithéâtre fédéral romain des Trois Gaules
Crédit photo : arno. - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Antiquité
Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
100
200
…
1800
1900
2000
19 apr. J.-C.
Initial construction
Été 177 apr. J.-C.
Martyrship of Christians
IIe siècle (vers 130–136 ?)
Controversial enlargement
1818–1820
First modern excavations
1961
Historical Monument
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
2026
New archaeological excavations

Heritage classified

The remains of the amphitheatre located in the part of the Jardin des Plantes delimited as follows: in the north, the southern alignment of the rue des Tables-Claudiennes; East, the west wall of the funicular street Terme-Croix-Rousse; south, north alignment of Burdeau Street; to the west, the elliptical curve of the western right-of-way of the amphitheatre, including the public roads contained therein forming part of the communal public domain, district of the Jardin des Plantes (Box C): classification by order of 27 November 1961

Key figures

Caius Julius Rufus - Financer and priest of Rome and Auguste Aristocrate Gallois de Saintes, sponsor in 19 A.D.
Sainte Blandine - Christian Martyr Victim of the persecutions of 177, symbol of the Lyon community
Saint Pothin - Bishop of Lyon and martyr Major figure of Lyon Christianity, died in 177
Amable Audin - Archaeologist Directed modern excavations (1956–78)
Caius Julius Celsus - Attorney of Lyon Gaul (assumption) Uncertain link with enlargement under Hadrian

Origin and history

The Amphitheatre of the Three Gauls of Lugdunum (Lyon) was built around 19 AD by Gaulish aristocrats of Saintes, including Caius Julius Rufus, to serve as a place of imperial worship and entertainment for delegates of the sixty Gaulish nations. Its initial dimensions (67.6 × 42 m) and its reduced capacity (1,800 seats) reflected its use for elites. Inscriptions engraved on the spot, such as the one mentioning the Santons, confirm its role as a federal sanctuary.

The building was enlarged in the second century (probably under Hadrian, although this dating was debated), increasing to 143 × 117 m and 20,000 places. This transformation opened up to the people of Lyon and the surrounding area. In 177 AD, he was the scene of the martyrdom of 48 Christians, including Saint Blandine and Saint Pothin, during the persecutions under Marc Aurelius. The excavations revealed a complex network of stands, asymmetric vomitories, and a podium topped by an iron railing.

Abandoned, the amphitheatre served as a stone quarry. Rediscovered in the 16th century as Recycle Bin of the Desert, it was partially searched between 1818 and 1820, then systematically studied from 1956. The current remains, integrated into the Plant Garden, represent only part of the original building. In 2026, new excavations discovered bones of wild animals (bears, panthers) and buried structures, enlightening its spectacular use.

The ancient literary sources (Suetone, Juvenal, Tacitus) and a letter from the Lyon Christians (resumed by Eusebius of Caesarea) attest to its importance. Ranked a historic monument in 1961, the site remains a major testimony to the Romanization of Gaul and the cultural and religious practices of Lugdunum, capital of Gauls.

Historiographic debates concern the dating of its enlargement. The Hadrian hypothesis (130–136 A.D.), based on a fragmentary inscription, is contested because of its uncertain interpretation. Other inscriptions, such as Caius Vlattius (affluent Lyon family), suggest local patronage. Construction techniques (choin, vaults) and materials reveal an architectural evolution between the 1st and 2nd centuries.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum