Urso (Osuna)

URSO (Osuna), ancient Baetica, modern Spain

COORDINATES: 37º14’19.87’’N // 5º05’44.30’’W

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Not urban.

DATE: 

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing east. At least 50 m. diameter. Maenianum. Three maeniana; six rows of seats survives from media cavea. Ima cavea is covered. Summa rested on masonery wall, maybe it had wooden steps.

ORCHESTRA: It has not been excavated. About 20 m. diameter

STAGE BUILDING: Some Corinthian capitals survived.

LOCATION: Theatre was outside ancient city walls. Now the building is East of modern Osuna, in a private property.

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. // http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/rutasteatro/es/01_TR_42.html

 

OUT OF PRINT: I have been visiting Osuna´s roman theatre these week. Alfredo Cruz, the owner of the property where the theatre is, showed me the remains and told me all he knows about it. He talked with passion about the incredible acoustic the theatre still have, surprising if we know that the theatre is covered and the visible remains are only some partial six rows of seats. He talked me about a flamenco concert that some friends of him did in a summer night and how they felt the wonderful acoustic... listening to him I felt the ancient theatre alive, like a big and ancient body asleep, waiting to be awakened... and i felt  jealous, who would not want to have a private roman theatre in his garden? Thanks Alfredo for all your kidness, all the best for you.