Arena at Nimes - In the cities of the Roman Empire, the arena was the venue of choice for epic shows such as gladiator events.  These amphitheaters were also symbols of a city's prestige. The arena at Nimes is one of the best preserved from the Roman past. The arena's shape is elliptical with sixty arches that cover the two levels.  Inside there are 34 rows of seats that can accommodate 20,000 spectators. Beneath the seating, concentric galleries lead to different levels by way of more than 100 staircases.  It had been believed that Augustus bestowed the amphitheatre on the city but it is now agreed that its construction dates from the 1st century - around the same time as the Colosseum of Rome.  Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the arena was became a fortified village with wells, houses and even churches up until 1786 when the buildings were removed and restoration of the arena began. In 1813 Nimes started to hold the first bullfights at the arena. Although somewhat controversial,  the bullfights and other events are what has enabled the full restoration and preservation of the Arena of Nimes.