Itálica was founded in 206 BC and became substantial: the emperors Trajan and Hadrian were both born here, and the city was rebuilt on a grand scale under Hadrian.
⭐ The amphitheatre is the reason to come — among the largest in the Roman world, and you walk in through the same entrances the crowds used. The arena floor and the pits beneath it are open.
The residential quarter beyond it keeps its street grid and a number of large houses with mosaic floors in place.
⚠️ There is very little shade on the site. In summer this is a morning trip.
Our tip
Go early, do the amphitheatre first while it is empty, and keep the mosaics for when the sun is high enough to light them.
Itálica, photographed
