The Amphitheatre of Verona

AMong many fayre Antiquities that a• called La arena, whereof this is the • thereof, & also how the seats or steps sto• from without, went vp vpon the inward • to sit in, euery one according to his estate • stood in the said steps: the Figure B. she• or seates: you sée also, how yᵉ steps were pl• the water and pisse that fell downe with• slope, that water might fall off, and not • these two here below, and also of other s• was measured with the foot where with yᵉ • ward parts) the thicknes of the Pilaster, • then each Pilaster that beareth vp the •rch• is 11. foot & an halfe: but the 4 princ• the Porticus, going round about, is 13. • 9 foot and a halfe broad; and also round • broad, and roofed also. But at the two pr• lasters. as it appeareth in the ground: • the measures, you may conceaue.

•a, there is an Amphitheater of rustical worke, • sheweth also a part standing vpright in the side •es vpon the steps were little doores, whereby men • the seats, and frō thence went to the places for men •e. The Figure marked A. sheweth how the doores •he goings downe & steps were made, in the degrées the gutters on the sides of yᵉ stayres were to auoyd •ing any man: the steps also were made somewhat them. In the inner part are many little doores, like •ical & rude worke. The greatnes of this Building •f Pola is measured: and first, (speaking of the out• & a 3. part: the flat Pillars, are 3. foot & a 3. part: •ot and a halfe broad: the widenes of the Arches, •. The Pilasters on the sides, are 6. foot thicke: • & roofed round: this Porticus in the middle, is • Porticus in the lowest part, is 8. foot & an halfe •ings in, there are 5. broad roofes vpon the Pi• •dlemost is broader then the other. The rest of the measures, you may conceaue.

TOuching the Ichnographie of the sayd Amphitheater, I haue set downe the principall measures, and partly spoken of that part which standeth vpright: now I will speake of the outward part, which worke can no otherwise bée called, then rude and rusticall, and haue likewise spoken of the thicknesse and breadth, therefore I will rehearse it no more: onely of the height I will say some thing: And first, the height of the first Arch is 23. foote: the height of the Pillars 27 foote: the Forme of the Architraue, Fréese and Cornice, is 6. foote high: the Place brest high aboue the Corince, is 2. foote and a halfe high: the height of the second Arch is 24. foote, and his widenesse 12. foote: the height of the Pillars is 24. foote and a halfe: the height of the Cornice, Fréese and Forme of the Architraue, is 5. foote and a halfe: the Borstwering or Place brest high of the third Order or Story, is 4. foote and a halfe high: the widenes of the Arch is 9. foote and 3. quarters: the height of the Arch is 17. foote and a halfe: the height of the broad Pillers is 20. foote and a halfe: against these Pillars, as farre as a man may perceiue, there were Images, of good bignesse, set: the third and last Cornice is 5. foote high. But I will not set downe the particular measures of the Cornices, for that I haue set them downe with great diligence, according to the greatnesse in this small Forme, which shall be the first Figures in the side following, and there below, the Profill or cutting of the outermost part of the Amphitheater shall stand. And thirdly, there followeth the Orthographie of a péece of the sayd Amphitheater without, which is all wrought after the rusticall manner, with stones of Verona, being very hard: but the Cornices are somewhat better made: which Cornices haue diuers and seuerall Formes of the Romanes, and are very like vnto the Cornices of the Amphitheater of Pola. Touching the playnenesse of this Amphitheater, which by the Common people is called, La arena, (taken from arena) which is sand, which was therein strowed for certayne Playes or sports, which were there presented or Acted: and therefore I could not sée the ground thereof: but as it was told me by some old men of Verona, when the Playes were there made vpon the sand, then presently there came water, in the sight of all the beholders, which past through some Conduits, and in short space filled all the place full, so that there they might make battailes, and thrust one at another with Scutes and Boates, in the water, and the place dryed vp agayne, as at the first. This, and many other things, men may beléeue, if we consider the great magnificence of the Romanes, in the Antiquities of Verona. There are yet vpon the great Riuer of Adixe two fayre ancient Bridges, betwéene the which two Bridges, there was a most fayre and notable Spectaele, whereon there might stand a great number of people, to behold the Playes and sports there made in Boates, vpon the water: which Spectacle was made along by the water side, against a hill: and higher vpwards, aboue this Spectacle, there was a Theater, the Scene whereof, and the Spectacle ioyned together: (and for that, as I sayd before, the Theater was made very artificially in the hill, so is it aboue the Theater in the height of the hill) there was a great building, which surpassed all the other: but the ruines of these buildings are so many, and so cast downe in processe of time, that it would be great charges and losse of tune to find them out: but for that in many places of the hill I haue séne some parts thereof, therefore it makes me wonder thereat. It was also, with good reason, that the Romanes made such things at Verona (for that, in my opinion, it is the best scit•ated place of all Italy) as well for playnes as hilles, and also for waters; and specially, the men of that Towne are very familiar and friendly people.