Who Built the Pula Arena? The Legend of Istria’s Fairies

The Pula Arena was built by the Romans: a timber amphitheatre under Emperor Augustus, replaced in stone under Claudius and enlarged under Vespasian in AD 79 completed under Titus in AD 81. It could hold about 23,000 spectators, and today it is the only Roman amphitheatre with all four side towers preserved. Local legend, however, says it was built overnight by fairies.

Was Pula’s most famous landmark built by Roman engineers, or by fairies working beneath the moonlight?

Pula Arena at a glance

The fairies who built the Pula Arena overnight

According to Istrian legend, the Arena was not built by humans at all. Long ago, fairies called vile were said to live in Istria’s forests, hills and hidden meadows. They appeared only at night, dancing beneath the moon and sometimes bringing good luck to the people who met them. They were also extraordinary builders.

One night they decided to build an enormous stone city by the sea. They carried heavy blocks from Mount Učka across Istria and arranged them into the Arena’s great circular walls, working through the dark to finish before sunrise.

Then a rooster crowed. The sound announced the dawn, and the fairies fled before humans could see them. Stones they had been carrying were said to be scattered across the land between Učka and Pula. The Arena was left without a roof, and the fairies never returned.

Why was the Arena called Divić-grad?

In local tradition the building became known as Divić-grad, usually interpreted as the “town of miracles”. The old Slavic word divić means something miraculous or astonishing, reflecting the wonder of people who saw the enormous Roman structure without knowing how it was built.

The real Arena never had a permanent stone roof. Instead, spectators were shaded by a large retractable fabric canopy called a velarium, supported by wooden masts and a network of ropes. Roman engineering was almost as impressive as the legend.

Was the Pula Arena built for love?

Another popular story says Emperor Vespasian expanded the amphitheatre for his companion Antonia Caenis, who is said to have owned estates near Pula, so that the city would have an arena like the Colosseum he was building in Rome.

Vespasian and Caenis were indeed long-term companions. She was a formerly enslaved woman who became an influential imperial secretary. But there is no conclusive evidence that she was connected to Pula or that the Arena was a declaration of love. It remains one of the city’s most appealing legends.

Is the Pula Arena a Colosseum?

Visitors often say “Pula Colosseum”, but the correct name is the Pula Amphitheatre or simply the Arena. The Colosseum is the specific name of Rome’s Flavian Amphitheatre.

The word arena comes from the Latin harena, “sand”, which covered the central floor and absorbed blood during gladiatorial contests and animal hunts.

Is it older than the Colosseum? Its first phases are: a timber amphitheatre stood here under Augustus, and a stone one under Claudius. The monumental stone Arena you see today dates from the same era as the Colosseum, enlarged under Vespasian in AD 79, around the time Rome’s Colosseum (begun c. AD 70) was opening. Built from local Istrian limestone just outside the Roman town of Pola (Colonia Pietas Iulia), it once held about 23,000 spectators and is one of the six largest Roman amphitheatres in the world. Its seafront position is exceptional: through its arches you can still see the harbour and the Adriatic, just as Roman spectators did.

What makes the Pula Arena unique?

Its outer wall is almost completely preserved, rising up to about 32.5 m on the seaward side. The Arena is also the only Roman amphitheatre with all four original side towers preserved. The towers held staircases to the upper seating levels and cisterns, which according to scholars fed fountains or sprinkled perfumed water over the crowd.

Over the centuries the building survived the fall of Rome, stone plundering (stone was taken even in 1789 for the foundations of the cathedral’s bell tower) and a 16th-century proposal to dismantle it and rebuild it in Venice. Age, preservation and coastal setting make it far more than a ruin: its complete outer form still dominates Pula’s skyline almost two thousand years later.

Why visit the Pula Arena?

Walk the arena floor where gladiators once faced the crowd, study the arches and towers, and descend into the underground chambers once used for equipment and spectacle preparations.

The Arena is still a living stage. Concerts, performances and the Pula Film Festival continue the building’s original role as a place where thousands gather to be entertained.

Where to stay when visiting the Pula Arena

• Grand Hotel Brioni Pula

• Park Plaza Histria Pula

• Park Plaza Arena

• Park Plaza Verudela

• Arena Verudela Beach

• Arena Verudela Villas

• Splendid Resort

• Horizont Resort

Frequently asked questions

Who built the Pula Arena?

The Romans: a timber amphitheatre under Augustus, a stone one under Claudius, and the monumental version enlarged under Vespasian (AD 79) and completed under Titus (AD 81). Local legend credits fairies.

Is the Pula Arena older than the Colosseum?

Its earliest phases are older. The monumental Arena is roughly contemporary with the Colosseum.

How many people did the Pula Arena hold?

About 23,000 in Roman times; around 5,000 for events today.

How tall is the Pula Arena?

Up to about 32.5 m on the seaward side.

Why is it called Divić-grad?

Local tradition’s name, usually read as “town of miracles”.

Is the Pula Arena called the Colosseum?

No. Its correct name is the Pula Amphitheatre or the Arena; “Colosseum” refers to Rome’s Flavian Amphitheatre.

Can I visit the underground chambers?

Yes. 

What events are held at the Arena?

Concerts, performances and the Pula Film Festival.