Coronation hill with the amphitheatre
A 10-minute walk from the historic centre of Sopron there is a special place where gladiators once fought and which was also the site of a king coronation ceremony.
The oval stone structure of the amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century, rebuilt in the 3rd century, and later fell victim to destruction and fire. It was believed to be a prehistoric or Kuruc era fortress. The excavations of Ferenc Storno Jr. and Miksa Storno proved that it is from the Roman times as they were unearthing a sanctuary and an altar stone of the protective goddess of gladiators, Nemesis. Unfortunately, from the 17th century onwards, the remains of the amphitheatre were continuously being used (for the construction of the outer town wall in the 17th century, later in the masonry of the residential buildings in the town), nevertheless the amphitheatre’s dimensions were accurately measured during numerous excavations. The battlefield was 63 meters long and 42 meters wide, bordered by a 2 meter-high podium wall, and the rows of seats surrounding the venue for gladiator and circus games had a width of 21 metres. The hill also played a role in the coronation of the Hungarian king in 1625 as one of the venues for the coronation ceremony.
