Lutetia Arena
The arena of Lutetia (French Arènes de Lutèce ) is considered to be the oldest surviving building in the French capital Paris ( called Lutetia in ancient times ). The Roman amphitheater is on Rue Monge in the 5th arrondissement . The arena dates from the 1st century and was used until the end of the 3rd century. Around 17,000 people were able to attend the spectacles (theater performances, but also life and death fights). With the rise of Christianity , the Roman circuses lost their importance. The Lutetia arena was no longer in use, its stones were used to build the city walls and other fortifications. The ruins were not rediscovered until 1869 when the Compagnie générale des omnibus wanted to build a bus depot in their place . In July 1883, Victor Hugo asked the city council in an open letter to place the arena under the protection of the city. The city council reacted within a few days and declared the ruins a historic monument .
In 1916 the bus depot was demolished and the amphitheater was restored as much as possible. Today you can even visit the cages of the lions there.
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Coordinates: 48 ° 50 ′ 42 " N , 2 ° 21 ′ 11" E