In 1884, construction work for the railway in Mainz uncovered a Roman amphitheatre. Nobody understood what the ruins meant, so tracks were laid right through the stage.

The amphitheatre was built in the first century and could seat 10,000 people. It was reportedly the largest Roman theatre north of the Alps. It hosted games, civic announcements and military parades. After the Romans left, it fell into disrepair.

The site was not fully explored until 1998, when its significance was finally appreciated. The tracks and station can still be seen from the viewpoint, and work continues to preserve what remains.

VoiceMap’s Roman Legacy tour stops here to point out the “guilty” tracks that cut across the stage and to tell how the ruins were eventually rescued.