"Game of Thrones" Filming Sets in Itálica, Seville
Itálica, the Roman Archaeological Site
Itálica was the first city that the Roman Empire founded outside of the Italian territory, around 206 BC. And its name comes precisely from the origin of its first inhabitants. It is one of the earliest Roman colonies in Spain located in the modern-day Santiponce, 9 kilometers north of Seville with remarkable mosaics and an impressive amphitheater where mainly gladiator clashes took place.
The Mosaics of Itálica
Also in Itálica, the remains of the streets can be seen and some wonderful mosaic floors from some of its villas remain. Highlights include the Casa de los Pájaros (House of the Birds), the Edificio del Mosaico de Neptuno (Building of the Neptune Mosaic), and the Casa del Planetario (House of the Planetarium), with a mosaic illustrating the gods of the seven days of the week. The House of the Birds was the first house totally excavated from the whole of Itálica. This aristocratic villa provides a number of gorgeous mosaics of excellent quality, the real treasure of this ancient city.
The Amphitheater of Itálica
In the center of the arena is a great pit that would have been covered by a wooden structure and was used for gladiator and wild animal sports. This one was the third largest of the Empire seating 25,000 spectators which were unusual for such a small town (population 8000), but then Itálica had powerful inhabitants, being the birthplace of two great Roman emperors: Trajan and Hadrian. The site has applied for Unesco World Heritage status.
Filming Location of GOT
Itálica is one of the filming locations of the seventh season of Game of Thrones. The Itálica Amphitheater hosted a key scene in the penultimate episode of Season 7, with the biggest character gathering of the series. In this climactic scene, three members of major houses have a historic meeting in the Dragonpit of King’s Landing to negotiate an alliance against the Army of the Dead.
According to the books, the Dragonpit was a huge structure in King's Landing that House Targaryen once used as a giant stable for their dragons. It was built following Maegor Targaryen's destruction of the Sept of Remembrance and destroyed during the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons during a smallfolk uprising lead by the Shepherd. The few remaining dragons died out soon after the war, so it was never rebuilt and left in ruins ever since. This explains why the Amphitheater of Itálica was the perfect place to recreate the ruins of Pozo Dragón, since it has well-preserved ruins, producing a more realistic scenario for the viewers.
Itálica hosted two times the filming scenes in the Roman ruins, now for the show’s eighth and final season of Game of Thrones that premieres in the 15th of April this year.
Tours in Itálica, Seville
If you are sightseeing in Seville, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit this Roman city where many of your favorite characters of GOT set foot.
Find the tour that best fits your interests:
Discover a tour focused on the Game of Thrones locations.
Enjoy a tour to Itálica for the beauty and history of this magical place.
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