Velarium
Suspended roof or shade awning of ancient Rome
A velarium ("curtain") was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea, the seating area in amphitheaters, to protect spectators from the sun. Retractable awnings were relatively common throughout the Roman Empire. Though the precise details are unclear, the awning was evidently usually supported by wooden masts, the sockets and brackets for which remain on the Colosseum and Arena of Nîmes, for example.
01The Colosseum
The Colosseum being the biggest amphitheater of Roman times, the velarium that covered it was the biggest that ever was as well. It provided shade from the sun for up to one third of the arena. The velarium also created a ventilation updraft, creating circulation and a cool breeze.
It is believed that sailors from the Misenum fleet, with their background in sailmaking and rigging were employed to build, maintain and operate the velarium.
02In modern times
The Puy du Fou theme park, in France, has a Roman-style amphitheatre built for some of its shows, complete with an antique-style velarium.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Velarium”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Pompeii - Battle at the Amphitheatre - MAN.jpg by WolfgangRieger, Public domain
- Ave Caesar Morituri te Salutant (Gérôme) 01.jpg by Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
- Maquette du Colisée Velarium.svg by File:Maquette du Colisée (5839478980).jpg: dalbera from Paris, France derivative work: Sunspeanzler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Panoramas au Puy du Fou (8703937703).jpg by Thomas Conté, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Le Signe du Triomphe, Puy du Fou (9728898302).jpg by seblinux78 from France, CC BY-SA 2.0
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