Casinum (Cassino)

CASINUM (Cassino), ancient Regio I, modern Italy.

 

COORDINATES: 41º28’59.78’’N // 13º49’15.79’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Scene building rebuilt in second half of I A.D. It was restored in II A.D. First III A.D. the orchestra was transformed in arena.

CAPACITY: 2.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south-east. 53.5 m. diameter. Built against hillside. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 11 rows of seats in 4 cunei; media cavea with 6 rows; summa cavea with 3 rows of seats.

ORCHESTRA: 16,9 m. diameter. Paved in marble, surrounded by wall (diameter at wall 14,6 m.) 3 steps for bisellia.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium had 5 curved and 4 rectangular niches, with 2 staircases. There are aulaeum remains. Pulpitum was 35,7 x 6,2. Scaenae frons was rectilinear in first times, but later it was transformed and was built a curved niche built around regia door. Columnatio with 2 storeys

LOCATION: Close to the center of the ancient town, up of the hill of modern Cassino. The theatre is west from the amphitheatre.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.// Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995 // Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003. // Courtois, Catherine; “Le bâtiment de scène des théâtres d’Italie et de Sicile”. Providence, Louvain-la.Neuve, 1989.

 

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: El teatro de Casino fue mi primera estación en el Via Crucis de los teatros antiguos de Lazio y Campania. En cada uno de los que pertenecen a un conjunto arqueológico visitable, tuve que justificar mis intereses académicos para poder hacer una miserable fotografía. Aún me cuesta comprender ese recelo, como si fuera posible esconder en una cajita los restos en campo abierto. Primera etapa de un Via Crucis en despachos de funcionarios, rellenando formularios, cuando lo único que quería era convertirme en lagartija y tostarme al sol, en silencio, en las ardientes gradas.

Les Arènes de Thénac

Les Arènes de THÉNAC,  ancient Gallia Aquitania, modern France.

 

COORDINATES: 45º41’53.12’’N // 0º37’30.13’’ O
TIPOLOGY: Gallo-roman theatre. Not urban.
DATE: Half I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing north-east. 81 m. diameter. Built on flat site. It had five radial passageways.
ORCHESTRA: 35 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: Nothing known.
LOCATION: 3,5 klm. north-eat from Thénac. 5,5 klm. south from Saintes.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.//  Landes, Christian (Ed.); “Le gout du theatre a Rome et en Gaule romaine”. Musée de Lattes, 1989.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: Caía la noche cuando visité les Arènes de Thénac, un día de enero de 2006. Fue mi primer teatro antiguo francés. A penas unos montículos de tierra y algún resto arquitectónico disperso. Calenté una sopa en el hornillo, cercano a donde debió estar, en su día, el frente escénico. Dormí aquella noche en mi coche, muy abrigado por el frío, junto al teatro. No recuerdo lo que soñé, no recuerdo siquiera si  era consciente de lo que me depararían las siguientes semanas, aquel fue el primer día, la primera noche, el primer edificio, el preámbulo de un fabuloso viaje, una locura de 8000 klm. en territorio francés, en busca de 34 teatros antiguos.

Nysa (Sultanhisar)

NYSA (Sultanhisar), ancient Caria / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 37º54’05.44’’N // 28º08’49.30’’E

TIPOLOGY: Bouleuterion / Greek odeon. Urban.

DATE: I B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Rebuilt in half II A.D.

CAPACITY: 650 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. 12 rows of seats in 4 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 7,2 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium was 0,8 m. high. pulpitum 24,7x3,1 m. Statues of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus and two Faustinas from scaenae frons.

LOCATION: In north west corner of agora.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Izenour, George. Roofed Theaters of Classical Antiquity. Yale University Press, 1992.// Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.// Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.//  Bean, George; “Turkey beyond the Maeander”. London, Ernst Benn, 1971.

 

OUT OF PRINT: Two times in different years I was in ancient Nysa, two times I meet the rain. A slow rain that showed me the ancient theatre, the stadium and the bouleuterion. I sat in the steps of it, hearing the rain monologue, a slow monologue that  comfort.

Singilia Barba (Antequera)

SINGILIA BARBA (Antequera), ancient Hispania Baetica, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 37º02’05.34’’N // 4º37’52.44’’W

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First I A.D.¿?

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 1.200 ¿? spectators

CAVEA: Facing north-northwest. 52 m. diameter. Built against hillside. The theatre is not excavated. Only two edges of summa cavea is visible. It´s supposed that there would be about 18 rows of seats.

ORCHESTRA: c. 15,5 m. diameter

STAGE BUILDING:

LOCATION: Ancient Singilia Barba is inside a private property, north-west from modern Antequera; the theatre is on north slope of Cerro Castillón, in an olive tree field.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: “Teatros romanos de Hispania” Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, 1993.// Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.//Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.

 

OUT OF PRINT: David lives on Antequera. I contacted with him searching information about Singilia Barba. I tried to contact in two times with archaeologist of Antequera town hall but was not possible. David, a man in love of the ancient past of Antequera offered me to visit the ancient town. It was a great evening, giving a round by ancient Singilia with him. About the theatre... what to tell... it´s not excavated but is there, I am sure there are good remains of it but not money for it.

Lindus (Lindos)

LINDUS (Lindos –Rhodes Island), ancient Asia Minor, modern Greece.

COORDINATES: 36º05´23.55’’N // 28º05’13.38’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.
DATE: IV B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Built against hillside, rock cut. Facing west-south west. 45m. diameter. exceeds semicircle. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 19 rows of seats in 9 cunei; summa cavea probably with 6 rows in 3 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 14 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: Scene building was 19x4,8 m.
LOCATION: East of modern Lindos, on Acropolis hill.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.// Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Arias, Paolo Enrico; “Il teatro greco fuori di Atene”. Firenze, G.C. Sansoni, 1934.

 

OUT OF PRINT: I do not cross Mediterranean sea for being near, I try and try to search the way to be close, although shadows dogs try to discourage me. Always I wanted to be in that theatre, when I were there I knew why... all the words reject...