Guildhall

The Guildhall stands on a foundation much older and more violent than its medieval stone walls suggest. Beneath the surface of the courtyard, archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman amphitheatre dating back to the first century. More than seven thousand spectators once gathered here to watch gladiator combat and public executions, long before the site became the administrative heart of the City of London. A dark circle paved into the stones of the modern courtyard marks the original arena floor where these ancient spectacles took place.