Ancient City · Roman · Spain
Italica
Italica is the Roman city founded by Scipio in 206 BC on the edge of today's Santiponce, 9 km north-west of Seville, and the birthplace of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Its excavated new town keeps paved streets, mosaic floors in the houses of the rich and one of the largest amphitheatres of the Roman world.
Italica tickets: which one for you
Our pick for each kind of visit, with live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most.
Best for: First visit, about two hours
A guide walks you through the amphitheatre and the mosaic houses and explains the Trajan and Hadrian story, which the sparse signs on site leave out.
- Active travellers from Seville: From seville half day guided bike trip to italica You ride out along the river plain on a bike with a guide, see the ruins on foot and pedal back, which turns the transfer into part of the trip.
- Families or a small private group: Private 4 hour tour of italica got with hotel pick up A private guide and hotel pick-up in Seville for about four hours, so you set the pace and avoid the bus timetable.
Tickets and tours: all the options
Entry to the archaeological site is run by the Andalusian regional government and costs very little: a token fee for visitors from outside the European Union and nothing for EU citizens who show an ID card or passport. Tickets are bought at the gate on the day, and there is no reason to book them in advance. The ticket covers the amphitheatre and the excavated new town; the Roman theatre down in the centre of Santiponce is a separate free visit.
What GetYourGuide and similar sites sell is the guide and the transport from Seville. The usual formats are a guided walk of about two hours with a meeting point at the gate, a half-day trip from Seville with a minibus or coach, a guided bike ride out along the Guadalquivir plain, and private tours with hotel pick-up that last around four hours. Some trips are themed on the television series that filmed its dragon pit scenes in the amphitheatre. Entry is often not included, though it costs so little that this hardly matters.
If you are comfortable taking a local bus, the cheapest good plan is to go on your own in the morning and book a guided walk at the site, because the signs are brief and the mosaics make far more sense with someone explaining them. A minibus half-day suits travellers who want no planning at all.
What to see at Italica
Amphitheatre
Turn left after the entrance for the oval arena, which seated about 25,000 people in a town of perhaps 8,000. Much of the outer wall was quarried away, but the tiers on the slope, the vaulted entrance passages and the cross-shaped pit under the arena floor survive. Walk through one of the tunnels to come out at ground level as the gladiators did.
House of the Birds
Back past the entrance and up the main street, this large house is named after its mosaic of more than thirty species of birds, each set in its own square. Rooms open off a central courtyard with a garden and pool, and the floor plan, wall bases and drains are easy to read from the walkways.
9 tickets and tours for Italica
Live dates and prices from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most tickets.
House of the Planetarium
A block further on, this house holds the mosaic of the seven planetary gods, the deities who gave their names to the days of the week, set in medallions around a central figure. Look at the busts of Saturn, the Sun and the Moon on the edges. Nearby houses keep geometric floors and a Neptune mosaic with sea creatures.
Roman streets and Traianeum
Between the houses, the wide streets of Hadrian's new town still have their paving stones and the drains running beneath them. At the highest point of the grid lies the Traianeum, a vast temple precinct of 108 by 80 metres built by Hadrian for Trajan, now reduced to foundations, column bases and a modern replica of the portico layout.
Roman theatre in Santiponce
Leave the site and walk about ten minutes downhill into Santiponce to reach the theatre of the old town, one of the oldest buildings visible at Italica. The seating rises against the hill, and the stage front, orchestra paving and part of the colonnade behind have been restored. It is free and quiet, and summer performances are sometimes staged here.
A short history
Publius Cornelius Scipio founded Italica in 206 BC, during the Second Punic War, as a home for his wounded and sick Italic soldiers, beside an older Iberian town. It was the first Roman settlement in Spain. Families from Italy settled there, including the ancestors of Trajan and Hadrian, both born at Italica. Hadrian rewarded his birthplace with the new town to the north, the Traianeum and the colony title. From the 3rd century the Guadalquivir shifted its course, the river port silted up and Seville outgrew it. For centuries the ruins served as a quarry. Protection began in 1810, regular digging in 1839, and Italica became a national monument in 1912. It is on the Spanish tentative list for UNESCO.
Getting there
Italica lies at the northern edge of Santiponce, about 9 km from the centre of Seville. The easiest public transport is the M-170 bus operated by Damas from the Plaza de Armas bus station, which runs frequently on weekdays and less often at weekends, and takes about 25 minutes. Get off at the stop by the main gate on Avenida de Extremadura. A taxi from the centre of Seville costs a modest fixed amount and takes 15 to 20 minutes outside rush hour. By car, take the A-66 towards Merida and leave at the Santiponce exit; there is free parking beside the entrance. Seville airport is about 20 km away, so a taxi straight from the airport is practical. Cycling out is possible but hot in summer.
Rules and what to bring
Stay on the marked paths and walkways, and do not walk on the mosaics or climb on the amphitheatre walls. Drones need a permit from the regional government. There is almost no shade on the site, so bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water, particularly from June to September. Wear shoes with grip for the uneven Roman paving. Toilets are near the entrance, but there is no café inside the site, and the bars and restaurants are in Santiponce outside the gate.
When to go
Seville is one of the hottest cities in Europe, and Italica has the same climate with even less shade. From late May to mid-September aim to be at the gate at 9 am, when the stone is still cool, and leave by midday. The summer timetable usually closes the site at 3 pm on weekdays, so an afternoon visit is not possible then. On spring Fridays and Saturdays the site stays open until 9 pm, so an afternoon visit is pleasant, and the low evening light is good for photographs of the amphitheatre.
The best months are March, April, May, October and November: warm but walkable, with wildflowers on the unexcavated ground in spring. Winter is mild and often sunny, and the site is nearly empty on weekday mornings. Crowds are rarely a problem even at Easter, though school groups appear on weekday mornings in term time. Remember that the site is closed on Mondays and that Sunday is morning only. Two to three hours is enough for the amphitheatre, the main houses and the theatre in town.
Combine it with
Pair Italica with the Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo, an early 14th-century fortified monastery with painted cloisters a few minutes away in Santiponce. Back in Seville, about 25 minutes by bus, the Palace of the Countess of Lebrija keeps mosaics taken from Italica, and the Archaeological Museum holds the statue of Trajan found at the site when it is open.
At a glance
| Hours | Tue–Sat 9 am–6 pm (Fri–Sat to 9 pm Apr to 20 Jun); 21 Jun–20 Sep 9 am–3 pm; Sun and holidays 9 am–3 pm |
|---|---|
| Closed | Mondays unless before a holiday; 1 and 6 Jan, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 Dec |
| Entry fee | from EUR 1.50; free for EU citizens with ID |
| Time needed | 2 to 3 hours |
| Best time | At 9 am opening; March to May and October to November |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; no need to book |
| Access | Flat but on gravel and Roman paving with little shade; most of the route works with a pushchair |
| Getting there | Bus M-170 from Plaza de Armas in Seville to Santiponce, about 25 minutes, stop by the gate |
| Founded | 206 BC |
| Excavated | 1839 |
| Civilisation | Roman |
| Website | museosdeandalucia.es/web/conjuntoarqueologicodeitalica |
| Checked | October 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is Italica open?
Tue–Sat 9 am–6 pm (Fri–Sat to 9 pm Apr to 20 Jun); 21 Jun–20 Sep 9 am–3 pm; Sun and holidays 9 am–3 pm. Closed: Mondays unless before a holiday; 1 and 6 Jan, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 Dec.
How much is the entry fee for Italica?
Entry fee: from EUR 1.50; free for EU citizens with ID.
How long do you need at Italica?
Allow 2 to 3 hours for Italica.
Do I need to book Italica in advance?
Pay at the gate; no need to book.
Can I book a ticket or tour for Italica online?
Yes. GetYourGuide lists 9 tickets and tours for Italica, with live dates and prices and free cancellation on most of them.
When is the best time to visit Italica?
At 9 am opening; March to May and October to November.
How do I get to Italica?
Bus M-170 from Plaza de Armas in Seville to Santiponce, about 25 minutes, stop by the gate.
Is Italica accessible, and what is the terrain like?
Flat but on gravel and Roman paving with little shade; most of the route works with a pushchair.
Is Italica worth visiting?
Worth it for a cheap, uncrowded half day among Roman mosaics and a huge amphitheatre close to Seville. Skip or shorten it in the July and August heat, or if you have already seen Merida and want something different.
How old is Italica?
Italica dates from 206 BC. Excavations began in 1839.