ANTIQUE ENTERTAINMENT

Vorig jaar bezocht ik het theater van Igivium, net buiten het huidige Italiaanse stadje Gubbio. Het dateert uit 20 vChr. Aanvankelijk had het theater een capaciteit van 3.900 toeschouwers, maar  na een uitbreiding bood het plaats aan 6.000 personen. The theater, built in opus quadratum of rusticated limestone blocks, is a two-story structure: the ground level in opus reticulatus, with vaulted access to the tiers, and the upper store, occupied by the porticus in summa cave, with Doric colonnade. Helaas konden we er niet in want er waren restauratiewerkzaamheden.  Meer foto's van Igivium vind je hier !

The ancient theatre of Cádiz in Spain is located on the road along the boulevard, but the entrance is hidden in a side street on the city side. As soon as you enter you will be surprised by beautifully displayed remains and information boards about its history. A corridor brings you to the theater. The city was known as Augusta Urbs Iulia Gaditana when it became a Roman colony, but its primary Latin name in historical and literary sources is Gades. It was built on the old Phoenician predecessor called Gadir.  The theater with a capacity of nearly 20,000 spectators was built during the late Republic, located in new town on island Kotinoussa. Here, I present the texts on display in the museum, which gives a great insight in its history.  The theater was built 'in montibus', taking advantage of the slope of the land to support the stands, whilst modifying it where needed. Architecturally the building stands out for its dimensions, given that the diameter of 118 meters, or 40...

This spring I visited the amphitheater of Lutetia in Paris. It is a very special place in a predominantly busy city. When I visited, parents were playing with their children, football was being played and there was rest.  What we see today is a Gallo-Roman mixed-used amphitheater with a stage. It consisted of an oval arena, two large lateral entryways and a cavea that did not completely encircle the arena. The missing section was taken up by a stage for mimes, pantomimes and singing performances. The arena was where gladiatorial combats (munera) took place and where wild beasts were hunted (venationes). The structure had an exterior gallery and a highly ornamented facade. It has an impressive size, 100 by 130,3 meters and it is one of the largest constructions of its kind in Gaul. Its total capacity is estimated at 17,000 spectators, so almost all inhabitants of the city that time could find a place there. It consisted of an oval arena, two large lateral entrywa...

Last year I visited Verulamium - capital of the Catuvellauni - at St Albans near London. It was on my bucket list for quite a while, because it is the only Roman theater visible in Britain today. This time, I took the train from Rotterdam to London and from London to St Albans. Arriving in St Albans it took a half hour walk through the village and passing some Roman remains in a park to reach the remains of the theater. Verulamium was among the first Romano-British towns to be built and by about AD 250 it was the third largest in this Roman province, surpassed only by London and Cirencester. It was not until about a hundred years after the Roman occupation of Britain, that the theatre in Verulamium was built. That might be around 140 AD, with serious alterations through time, until the early fourth century. The stage and seatings were mainly of wood, while the arena and orchestra were covered by a flat cement floor during the fourth major renovation (AD 300).     The tota...

This spring, I visited Córdoba's Roman theatre. The remains can be seen in the basement of the archeological museum. It was built on the south-east slope of the plateau on which the Roman City was founded. The spot chosen for the theatre was located in the new district that emerged in the times of Caesar Augustus, which extended the city limits to the riverbank. Part of the slope was cut away to build the theatre, and massive foundations - almost all of which are still intact today - were laid support the tiered seating area. The construction also triggered the urban development of the entire surrounding area. Important sewage works were undertaken to channel the water flowing down from the city's higher ground.    Foto's gemaakt in het Archeologisch Museum van Cordoba vind je hier !

One of the most beautiful theaters I visited in 2023 was the one in Cartagena. The first remains were discovered in 1988 during the construction of the Centro regional de artesanía (Centre Regional de Artesanía). The excavations and the final restoration were completed in 2003.   jklkkl; Restoration of the scenic facade, scaenae frons of the theater of Cartagena j;ljkl The theater was dedicated to the two young princes Caius and Lucius Caesar, Augustus's grandsons and virtual heirs, who moreover must have participated in the financing of the building and also in the selection of its decoration.  The remains of the theater extend to an area measuring over 5,000m2, and can be extended by adding another 2,000m2 to account for the three-lined portico located behind the stage. Currently, this area is occupied by a poor, although popular, 19th century neighborhood, which over the years has become one of the most deprived and run-down areas of the old town. The restoration of the arc...