Anfiteatro Romano y Plaza de Toros de Cartagena

Anfiteatro Romano y Plaza de Toros de Cartagena brings Roman and nineteenth-century architecture together on Cartagena’s eastern hill. The Roman amphitheatre dates from the first century, while the bullring rose above it in 1854. Partial dismantling reveals the ancient arena where gladiatorial combats once took place, alongside the surviving outer ring. From here, the hill route leads towards Torre Linterna, Parque Torres, and Mirador Parque Torres, with the Roman Theatre on the western side.

Archaeological work has exposed a sandstone podium, four seating rows, and sections of the maenianum primum in opus caementicium. Beneath the ima cavea, vaulted rooms called carceres connect with the arena and the porta libitinensis. Excavation first removed schist and phyllite fill from Cerro de la Concepción, placed here when the bullring was built. The project combines research, conservation, restoration, and presentation while preserving the outer ring for planned cultural uses.

Three historical phases meet within this footprint: the Roman amphitheatre, an eighteenth-century autopsy pavilion linked to the Hospital de Marina, and the nineteenth-century bullring. The pavilion once supported medical teaching. Its connection with the remains adds another layer to the site’s history. The clearest visual contrast comes from two shapes: the bullring’s circle and the amphitheatre’s oval, standing together in Cartagena.