The Ghost Amphitheater

I seem to be addicted to Google Maps.
Pictured, the older, central portion of the city of Lucca in North-Central Italy.
First, most impressive to me are the extensive remains of the Renaissance era fortifications.
You've got the whole kit here.
Bastions, ravelins and tenailles.
Especially nice is the picture-perfect bastion on the Western edge.
A lot of the glacis still remains and is probably a nice place to hang out of a summer day.
But, cool as the battlements are what we're talking about is far older; over a millennium older.
Just above the center of the photo you'll see a small oval space surrounded by buildings.
This represents a vestige of the Roman era, an interesting little tidbit in these days of crumbling empire.

This oval is the sole survivor or Lucca's Roman era amphitheater.
It must not have been a very large city as the spot measures only about 50 X 100 feet.
Anyway, when Rome fell, the amphitheater was abandoned.
Squatters moved into the remaining structure which was gradually demolished and replaced with other buildings.
Over the years, as properties rose and fell on the site, the oval shape was maintained by the original property lines established as the area was redeveloped in the post-empire era.
Until recently the open space was filled with structures as well.
They were torn down when it was realized what they had.
My suspicion is that the first aerial view of the town made folks aware that they'd been living with this remnant for centuries.
Now, the space is maintained as a tourist attraction "The Ghost Amphitheater".