Velarium
Suspended roof or shade awning of ancient Rome / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Velaria" redirects here. For the genus of hydrozoans, see Velella.
A velarium ("curtain")[3] was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea, the seating area in amphitheaters to protect spectators from the sun.[4][2] Retractable awnings were relatively common throughout the Roman Empire. Though the precise details are unclear, the awning was evidently usually supported by wooden masts, the sockets and brackets for which remain on the Colosseum and Arena of Nîmes, for example.[5][6][2]