Segesta (Segesta)

 SEGESTA (Segesta), ancient Magna Graecia, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 37º56’27.86’’N // 12º50’37.89’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek siceliot theatre.

DATE: End of IV B.C. or half III B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Proscaenium rebuilt in II B.C. Roman reformations.

CAPACITY: 3.200 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. 64 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 21 rows of seats in 7 cunei. It is not well known the number of exact rows of seats and cunei from summa cavea. The analemmata converges with the scene building.

ORCHESTRA: 14,8 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Stage building was 17,7 x 6,1 m. Parascaenia was 4,9 x 9,3 m. Proscaenium with 17,7 x 3,4 m. and 3,3 m. high.

LOCATION: Ancient Segesta is 35 klm. east from Trapani, 65 klm. sout-west drom Palermo.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: 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. // 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: In the ancient settlement of Segesta you can find an impressive ancient temple and the marvelous ancient theatre. The theatre is up in a hill, the temple is 700 m. down. I would like to have known ancient Segesta people, for a simple way they knew how to honor Gods, built the theatre in the higher place, displacing the temple, knowing perfectly what kind of ritual Gods wanted, the ritual of ancient drama.

Argos (Argos)

ARGOS (Argos), ancient Argolis, modern Greece.

COORDINTES: 37º37’53.65’’N // 22º43’40.47’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre.

DATE: III B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: II A.D.

CAPACITY: 20.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing east. It´s far for completing a semicircle, so it was built extending up, radius maximum of cavea is 77,28 m. Greek cavea had two maeniana, ima cavea with 49 rows of seats in 4 cunei and summa with 37 rows of seats in 4 cunei. In roman times cavea was transformed in 4 maeniana, with 13, 41, 11 and 17 rows of seat, respectively from bottom to top, with 4,6,2 and 2 cunei respectively.

ORCHESTRA: 14,5 m. diameter., 26m. including euripus.

STAGE BUILDING: Greek stage building was 6 m. width. Roman pulpitum was 35x5,6 m. and 1,20 m. high.

LOCATION: In Larissa hill, south-west from modern city.

MY BEDIDE TABLE: Moretti, Jean-Charles; “Théâtres d’Argos”. Paris, École française d’Athenes, 1993. // Lange, Judith; Bosnakis, Dimitris; “Ancient theatres”. Athens, Itanos, 1996. // Maximos, Platon; “Ancient Hellenic theatres”. Athens, 1998. // Maximos, Platon; “Fair competition: ancient stadia – ancient theatres”, Athens,  , 2004. // Mee, Christopher; Spawforth, Anthony; “Greece. Oxford archeological guides”. Oxford University Press, 2001. // Arias, Paolo Enrico; “Il teatro greco fuori di Atene”. Firenze, G.C. Sansoni, 1934. // Cailler, Pierre; Cailler, Diky; Bettex, Ivan; “Les Théatres gréco-romains de Grèce”. Laussane. Style. 1966. // 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: Argos has five ancient theatrical structures, the the big ancient Greek theatre is one of my favourite ancient theatres. When I visited it I was a bit hypnotized, I was not conscious about the time I spent there. I sat down in the last row, in the upper cavea and could see the modern city in front of me, from the ancient theatre. It was strange, I could feel like a frontier between the theatre and the modern city, like it was two different layers, overlapping, coexisting in the same space but at the same time, independent, autonomous, indifferent to each other... it seemed that Greek Gods, in modern times, had given a respite to humans and had decided no to interfere more in earthly affairs, although, indeed, from the ancient theatre of Argos they still observe our madness... our unjustifiable reluctance life, lamenting a time where the theatre made them visible, made them close to men, made them imperfect, capricious, earthly.

Botrys (Batroun)

BOTRYS (Batroun), ancient Syria, modern Lebanon.

COORDINATES: 34º15’21.50’’N // 35º39’42.27’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE:

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: The only existing remains are part of the cavea, probably summa by the diameter of the section.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING:

LOCATION: The remains of the roman theatre are inside a garden of a private house, east of modern Botrys, 60 klm. north of Beirut.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Chase, Raymond G. “Ancient Hellenistic and Roman amphitheatres, stadiums and theatres. The way they look now”. Portsmouth, Peter E. Randall Publisher, 2002. // 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: When I was a child I used to watch Beirut images on tv news, they were images of tanks in a dusty city... for me that was a far world, like a world that lived in another dimension, very far... that images of Lebanon war made me feel strange and restless, but in another way I felt safe for being so far... that was I believed, a very far world, so far that it was impossible for me to be there in my life... so I was safe... Walking by Beirut´s streets you can see today the traces of the war that I watched on tv when I was younger although unfortunately you can see traces of more wars there... so many wars there... I had the luck of travel to Lebanon, of work there doing the best I know to do... thanks to Wallid and Wasim and all the people of the Palestinian refugee camps for teaching me the right meaning of life.

Grumentum (Grumento Nova)

GRUMENTUM (Grumento Nova), ancient Regio III, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 40º16’59.77’’N // 15º54’18.98’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: First I A.D. (Iulio-Claudian).
TRANSFORMATIONS: Scaena transformed in II – III A.D.
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing north-east. 128 m. diameter. Built on substructures, over two semicircular ambulacrum. It had ima, media and summa cavea.
ORCHESTRA: 32 m. diameter. Two steps for bisellia.
STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium was 1,2 m. high. Pulpitum 28,8 m. long.
LOCATION: South-west side of old town. 2 klm. east from modern Grumento Nova, in Basilicata.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: 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. // 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: Marvelous place with a very big amphitheatre in a short walk from roman theatre, an ancient town far from the bustle of the empire.

Kos (Cos, Cos Island)

KOS (Cos – Cos Island), ancient Asia Minor, modern Greece.

COORDINATES: 36º53’22.64’’N // 27º17’05.18’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman odeon. Urban.

DATE: II d.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 750 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north. It´s inscribed in a rectangle: 31,9 x 26,1 m. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 9 row of seats in 3 cuenei. Summa cavea with probably 5 rows of seats in unknown cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 5,14 m. diameter. It was paved with colour marble.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium was 0,8 m. high. Pulpitum was 10,4 x 3,6 m.

LOCATION: The odeon was built in roman times in the southwest quarter of the city; today is just out of the modern city, close to the peripheral road.

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. // Lange, Judith; Bosnakis, Dimitris; “Ancient theatres”. Athens, Itanos, 1996.

OUT OF PRINT: The night before I take that photo I were there listening a concert. It was Vivaldi´s music in an evening that was dismissed the long summer. An odeon was constructed in ancient times for listening music and declamation. And I were there, leaving me encompass the waves of the music, a music that was injured by the counterpoint of the cars outside. It was not easy, but for moments it was possible to feel the odeon bubble, the miracle, its cuddle.

Mevania (Bevagna)

MEVANIA (Bevagna), ancient Regio VI, modern Italy.
 
COORDENATES: 42º56’05.28’’N // 12º36’36.66’’E
TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing south. 90 m. diameter. It preserves two annular corridors, outer one is the ambulacrum.The street “Via San Francesco” follows cavea outer wall.
ORCHESTRA:
STAGE BUILDING: The street “Corso Matteoti” follows line of scene building.
LOCATION: In modern Bevagna. It´s visible in the curve of the buildings and the ambulacrum is Redibis restaurant and a museum now.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003. // 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. http://www.redibis.it/en/home.html

OUT OF PRINT: These theatre is the one I would like to come back with my friend Fran, I am sure he would love it, so dedicated to you, Fran. I have been in theatres that now are an olive grove, or are part of private garden, or are in the meddle of a cornfield or in the meddle of a desert island, or in the corner of a bombed city, I have been in theatres that are underground... but Bevagna one is special... now, the ambulacrum is part of a marvellous restaurant, while you eat its wonderful stew and drink a good wine you can hear through the tunnel of time invisible people getting excited to the next play.

Leuke (Kouphonisi Island - Crete)

LEUKE (Kouphonisi Island – Crete), ancient Cyrenaica, modern Greece.

COORDINATES: 34º56’50.94’’N // 26º07’48.19’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Roman empire.
TRANSFORMATIONS: It was destroyed in IV A.D. The theatre was excavated in 1976.
CAPACITY: 1.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing northwest. 12 rows of seats are preserved.
ORCHESTRA: Marble floor preserved.
STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum preserved, it´s carved on rock.
LOCATION: Ancient Leuke is in Kouphonisi island, an uninhabited island nowadays. Kouphonisi is 18 klm. east from modern Makry Gialos.

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.

OUT OF PRINT: What three things would you take with you to a desert island? If that island is Kouphonisi I only would have to take two things... I had the luck of being some days ago in a desert island for a time, a short time but enough for being a lucky Robison, I was left there for a while... A desert island that have a roman theatre, a desert theatre, a desert silence, a silence break down for the breeze of the sea, a silence framed by the sunset... I have never been in such a paradise place like that. Thanks to Giannis who make possible to travel there.

Notion (Ahmetbeyli)

NOTION (Ahmetbeyli), ancient Ionia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDIANATES: 37º59’37.00’’N // 27º12’03.27’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Cavea was restored in imperial roman times.

CAPACITY: 4.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing west. 64 m. diameter. Rest on natural slop, partially carved on rock . Bigger than semicircle. Maenianum. There are 27 visible row of seats, ima cavea with 9 cunei and summa with 11.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING: Rectangular shape, 25 x 6,5 m. Facade with five thymorata.

LOCATION: 4 klm. south from modern Ahmetbeyli, 2 klm. south from ancient Claros, 18 klm west from ancient Epheso.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010. // 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; “Aegan Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1972.

OUT OF PRINT: First time I visited Notion´s ancient theatre I felt like a ballet dancer, I had to cross a muddy field strewn. I tried to be light, by a pathetic jumps that were too far from the weightless... I suppose that, Notion ancient people, in their theatre, saw, more than once, graceful and beautiful dances... that day I was crowned in the silence theatre, but not with laurels for poets, I had a different present... muddy boots, heavy as hell.

Termantia Therme (Tiermes)

TERMANTIA THERME (Tiermes), ancient Tarraconensis, modern Spain.

  

COORDINATES: 41º19’46.67’’N // 3º08’48.20’’O

TIPOLOGY: Iberan or Roman Theatron.

DATE: I a.C or I d.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 2.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. It´s rectilinear but it has not a regular shape. The theatre is carved on rock, but there are remains of masonry for a second maeniana. Ima cavea with 9 rows of seats, buy unknown rows in summa. The theatre was used for public or religious propose. There´s a drainage system, consisting of several channels carved on the rock. In summer the rock cavea is used for performances.

ORCHESTRA: An open area, trapezoidal, 200 x 80 m.

STAGE BUILDING: There´s no traces of it.

LOCATION: Close to “Sun gate”

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: www.tiermes.net/opc_yacimiento_virtual.asp?id=2

OUT OF PRINT: It´s said that Salvador Dalí was inspired by the topography of Cadaqués to paint his creations. I say that he probably knew the cavea of Tiermes, or maybe he was the sculptor of the rows of seats.

Scolacium (Squillace)

SCOLACIUM (Squillace), ancient Regio III, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 38º48’24.61’’N // 16º35’40.71’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre.

DATE: I A.D. (Julio-Claudian dinasty)

TRANSFORMATIONS: II a.D. (Hadrianic times) in sacaenae frons, podium in media cavea and analemma.

CAPACITY: 3.500 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing West-South-west. 60 m. diameter.  Rest partially on natural slope. Ima cavea was divided in 5 cunei with 6 scalaria, 8 rows of seat are preserved. It has a podium maybe for a statue. Summa cavea rest on two radial corridor vaults, it had 14 or 16 rows of seats.

ORCHESTRA: 19,5 m. including balteus. 3 steps for bisellia.

STAGE BUILDING: Sacenae frons with three doors, all of them in semicircular niches. Proscaenium was rectilinear, 0,85-1 m. high.

LOCATION: Ancient Scolacium is close to modern Roccelletta. The ancient roman theatre is west from forum.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: 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. // 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: The ancient theatre is surrounded by a fence. When you see an exotic animal in a cage you feel sad... you look something extraordinary, unusual but you look at too an indissoluble distance... like a virtual reality. Scolacium ancient theatre is that, of course I understand heritage conservation... but it´s sad, something you can only look at , in the distance, no possibility of touch, like a sacred exotic animal in a jail, a broken animal.

Vienna (Vienne)

VIENNA (Vienne), ancient Gallia Narbonensis, modern France.

COORDINATES: 45º31’29.51’’N // 4º52’43.41’’E.

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Last I B.C. or first I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Proscaenium was built in II A.D.

CAPACITY: 10.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing west – northwest. 130,4 m. diameter. Buily against hillside, all the cavea was accessible from vomotoria and annular passage system. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 12 rows of seats in 4 cunei; Media cavea with 21 rows in 10 cunei; Summa cavea with 10 rows in 10 cunei, top of it there is an ambulatory. In the middle of the porticus in summa cavea there was a small temple.

ORCHESTRA: 34,7 m. diameter including bisellia –four steps-. Paved in different colors marble.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium -1,33 m. high- with 4 rectangular –two big and two small- rectangular niches and 3 curved; it has remained part of the decoration (lion, satyr heads...). There are aulaeum remains. Pulpitum 72 x 11,3 m. In scaenae frons the regia door is in a large niche with curved sides.

LOCATION: The theatre was built using the natural slope of Colline de Pipet.

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. // Grenier, Albert; “Manuel d’archeologie Gallo-Romain”. Paris, Éditions A. Et J. Picard, 1958. // Landes, Christian (Ed.); “Le gout du theatre a Rome et en Gaule romaine”.

OUT OF PRINT: The Roman theatre in Vienna is a fest for the eyes... the colorful marble orchestra, the stunning decorative figures from proscaenium, the inmensity of the cavea... but there is something more extraordinary, when I viewed the cavea from the top of the seats I had a long lost feeling, overwhelming... the same feeling I had when I was a boy, the same feeling I had when I went to football matches at the Santiago Bernabeu,.. an emotional vertigo.

Augusta Bagiennorum (Benevagienna)

AUGUSTA BAGIENNORUM (Benevagienna), ancient Regio IX, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 44º33’33.34’’N // 7º51’17.67’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Second half II A.D. Maybe Flavian.
TRANSFORMATIONS: It was used till IV a.D.
CAPACITY: 3.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing south-west. 57,5 m. diameter. Built over radial and annular substructures. It has been restored in recent times.
ORCHESTRA: 22,2 m. diameter, paved in brick.

STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum was 40,5 x 7,2 m. Scaenae frons was rectilinear; the porticus post scaenam was a quadriporticus with a temple.

LOCATION: East of forum, north of amphitheatre remains. The ancient theatre is 2 klm. north-east from modern Benevagienna, about 65 klm. south from Torino.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003. // 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: Essence, minimalism, structure, function, lines, wind... Augusta Bagiennorum, an ideal place for Bob Wilson´s plays.

Stratos (Stratos)

STRATOS (Stratos), ancient Acarnania, modern Greece.

COORDINATES: 38º40’18.43’’N // 21º19’10.44’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.
DATE: Last IV B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 5.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing south. Built in a low slope. It seems only one maeniana with near 40 rows of seats in 11 cunei; first row with stone back.
ORCHESTRA: Visible remains of I B.C. skene.
STAGE BUILDING: There are remains of the greek scene.
LOCATION: 0,5 klm. north from modern Stratos; 80 klm. south from Arta.

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.

OUT OF PRINT: Sometimes the silence is a danger echo, like a mute burst...  the quiet, but fast, movement of a scorpion.

Formiae (Formia)

FORMIAE (Formia), ancient Regio I, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 41º15’17.59’’N // 13º36’01.26’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Last I B.C. or first I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: 60 m. diameter. Facing south-southeast. It was built against hill. The structures and the remains are incorporated into modern buildings, but the shape of the cavea can be seen in the planimetry of modern houses and in an aerial view.
ORCHESTRA:
STAGE BUILDING:
LOCATION: The theatre is behind “Piazza Bonomo” and “Vico Teatro” street. Modern Formia is 134 klm. south from Rome and 82 klm. north from Napoli.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003. // 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: Not too much visible of the ancient theatre in Formia, but that´s the pleasure sometimes, to look for, to imagine... if you take a slow look you will find opus reticulatum in the walls of the houses, and the shape of the cavea in the buildings that look to the courtyard, now a pleasant place for neighbors to talk. Long time ago the applauses were hung in the rows of seats, today clean and full of color clothes, wet, hangs from the windows... all in the same place.