Rudiae, birthplace of the poet Quinto Ennio, is an ancient Messapian, and then Roman, city located in the heart of the Cupa Valley.
In the centre of the ancient city, the valuable Roman amphitheatre, built in the Trajan era between 98 and 117 AD with a capacity of almost 8,000 spectators and brought to light during the 2011 excavations, remains almost intact.
Unlike the Roman amphitheatres that were built just outside the city walls, also to prevent the small town from filling up with foreigners, the Rudiae amphitheatre was built in the centre of the previous Messapian settlement, in an area that, thanks to the presence of a natural sinkhole, made its construction easier.
During the first excavations, a necropolis and several finds from the Messapian and Roman eras were also brought to light, and are now preserved in the Sigismondo Castromediano museum in Lecce. The archaeological park built on the remains of ancient Rudiae and around the recent finds is located on the road to San Pietro in Lama and contains the historical stratification of the Messapian city and its Roman evolution.
Today, the presence of two amphitheatres in Lecce is striking: one in the historic centre of the city and the other not far from the city centre, precisely in the archaeological park of Rudiae.
Country Orecchiette
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