Anfiteatro Romano in Rimini, Italy

According to Atlas Obscura, the Anfiteatro Romano in Rimini, Italy, was built during Emperor Hadrian's reign in the second century. The oval-shaped arena measured about 76 meters by 47 meters and could hold 10 to 12 thousand spectators—not counting those in wooden balconies—making it nearly as large as Rome's famous Colosseum. The structure was built with concrete and brick across two rows of arches, each standing more than 50 feet high. Archaeologists believe Hadrian commissioned it partly to boost his public image and give residents moments of collective entertainment. After roughly a century of hosting gladiator games, the amphitheatre was incorporated into Rimini's defensive walls, where portions of it still stand today as the region's most imposing ruin and the only substantially surviving Roman amphitheatre in Emilia-Romagna.

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