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.

Antiphellos (Kas)

ANTIPHELLOS (Kas), ancient Lycia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 36º11’59.86’’N // 29º38’05.87’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.
DATE: II B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Enlarged in second half of III A.D.
CAPACITY: 2.800 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing south. 50 m. diameter. Built against hillside. Exceeds semicircle. Maenianum: 25 rows of seats divided in 3 cunei. There are holes for vela.
ORCHESTRA: 10,6 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: There is not remains.
LOCATION: Ancient theatre is west of modern Kas, in wonderful Lykia.

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; “Lycian Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1978.

OUT OF PRINT: When the day falls people from Kas go to the ancient theatre to see the last ray of sun. They wait there, sitting in the cavea, talking slowly, eating sunflower seeds, stopping the time... that´s Antiphellos theatre, a place for being with a friend, talking, providing quietly with a drink, celebrating the meeting, stopping time, leaving the words flow, an ideal place to feel the night to come.

Nea Paphos (Kato Paphos) II

NEA PAPHOS (Kato Paphos) II, ancient Cyrenaica, modern Cyprus.

COORDINATES: 34º45’40.12’’N // 32º24,50.11’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: Late IV or first III B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: It was damaged by earthquake of 15 B.C. The cavea was extended late first I B.C. and meddle of II A.D. The theatre was abandoned after earthquake of 364 A.D.

CAPACITY: 8.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. 88 m. diameter. Built against low hill. Maenianum: 33 rows of seats in 6 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 22,4 m. diameter. It was transformed in kolymbretha in roman late times for water games.

STAGE BUILDING: Different elements sign different construction and reconstructions phases. There is a tunnel, charonian, who runs from the stage building to the orchestra, like in Eretria, that was used in ancient Greek theatre for the actors appearances.

LOCATION: The ancient Greek theatre is in “Fabrika” hill, 600 m. east from ancient odeon, in Kato Paphos.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // http://www.paphostheatre.com/index.html // Wood Conroy, Diana; “The fabric of the ancient theatre”. Lefkosia, Moufflon Publications, 2004.

OUT OF PRINT: When I visited Cyprus I read Diana Wood Conroy´s “The fabric of the ancient theatre”, excavation journals of the ancient Greek theatre of Paphos and another archaeological remains in Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. Diana Wood worked some summers in the excavations of the theatre. The book includes comments on the theatre excavations as well as references to other historical and archaeological sites in Cyprus. I have to confess my jealousy... to lay bare the remains of the theatre, bring them out, to collect daily impressions... who could.

Cyaneae (Yavu Köy)

CYANEAE (Yavu Köy), ancient Lycia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 36º14’45.27’’N // 29º48’54.07’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Not urban.

DATE: Last III or first II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 2.500 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south.  55 m. diameter. Built against  low hill.  Exceeds semicircle.  Maeniana: Ima cavea with 10 rows of seats in 5 cunei; summa cavea with 14 rows of seats in 5 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 14,5 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: It was carved on rock and with rectangular shape. It has not been excavated, only some proscaenium remains are visible.

LOCATION: On a lower summit west of the ancient city. The theatre is on a hill up of modern little village of Yavu Köy, 60 klm. west from Kumluca.

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; “Lycian Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1978.

OUT OF PRINT: First time I visited Cyaneae it was a storm winter day, it was all the day raining and cloudy, with a dense fog that covered the day with a spooky atmosphere. I knew the ancient theatre was up of the hill, but did not know the exact place. I started to climb awkwardly, I has lost the way and shrubs and bushes were my friends in my walk, soon my raincoat torned, I was walking around the fog about two hours, the fog was dense and I was soggy, that day I knew than even a good goretex boats finished soaking. When I was thinking about how to return because I was absolutely lost, the fog opened a little light window and an impressive greek theatre appeared... one of my favourites. I came back to Cyaneae in 2008, it was a clear day and it was easy to find the theatre... Cyaneae is like to take a walk by the moon, a place without words.

Faesulae (Fiesole)

FAESULAE (Fiesole), ancient Regio VII, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 43º48’27.98’’N // 11º17’37.39’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Last I B.C or first I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS: It has been hardly restored in modern times.
CAPACITY: 3.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-east. 67 m. diameter. Built west side on natural hill. Only one maeniana with 23 rows of seats in 4 cunei and 5 scalaria. Foundations of porticus in summa cavea.

ORCHESTRA: 22,1 m. diameter. Paved in colour marble. Bisellia with four steps.

STAGE BUILDING: Hyposcaenium remains. Proscaenium with one curved and four rectangular niches. Pulpitum is 43,7 x 8,9 m. Sacenae frons has to columnatio storeys, regia door in curved niches, hospitalia in curved ones.

LOCATION: Close to a roman bath complex. The theatre is north of modern Fiesole, 5 klm. north-east from Firenze.

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: Firenze is a magical city, it hides infinite treasures and a sense that is far away from time, between fact and fiction... a secret, well not so much as a secret... there´s a wonderful treasure outside Firenze, 5 klm. north, up the hill... only a Roman theatre, only a quiet corner, just a quirk of time.

Bostra (Bosra)

BOSTRA (Bosra), ancient Arabia, modern Syria.

COORDINATES: 32º31.03.93’’N // 36º28’53.72’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: First II A.D. (Severan).
TRANSFORMATIONS: The theatre was transformed in an Arab fortress.
CAPACITY: 8.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north. 88 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 14 rows of seats in 5 cunei; Media cavea with 18 rows in seven cunei; Summa cavea with 6 rows in 10 cunei. the last row of seats in ima and media with stone back. Porticus in summa cavea preserved.
ORCHESTRA: 28 m. diameter, paved in stone.
STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium with 5 curved and 6 rectangular niches. Pulpitum 45,1 x 6,2 m. Scaenae frons has three doors in curved niches. Columnatio with three storeys.
LOCATION: The roman theatre is the centre of modern Bosra, 130 klm. south of Damasco.

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. // Bieber, Margarete. “The History of The Greek and Roman Theatre”. Princeton University Press, 1961. // Segal, Arthur; “Theatres in Roman Palestine & provincia Arabia”. New York, E.J. Brill., 1995. // Burns, Ross; “Monuments of Syria”. London, I.B. Tauris, 1999.

OUT OF PRINT: Bosra ancient theatre is of the three roman theatres best preserved, with Aspendos in Turkey and Orange in France. I visited in winter, early in the morning, when I was wandering by the rows of seats, absorbed in such a magnificent monument, seating in media cavea, looking the scaenae frons –I do not see a  scaenae frons every day-, when I went down to the real world I realized I was a prisoner, not for being in an ancient theatre that in Arab times was transformed in a fortress... I was a prisoner because I was surrounded by ice, all the stone seats and stairs were frozen, so I slipped two times; I went down to the orchestra descending the stairs with my ass, not very honourable in fact, but a sure way for descending without loosing the marvellous view of the scaenae frons. There are silence that sings, here in Bosra you can listen a slowly dumb song.

Hadrianopolis (Sofratike)

HADRIANOPOLIS (Sofratikë), ancient Epiro, modern Albania.

COORDINATES: 39º59’46.87’’N // 20º13’28.93’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. urban.
DATE: It has not been determined but about or after II A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 3.500 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north-west. 58 m. diameter. Maenianum: It had two maeniana; In Ima cavea 12 rows of seats partially still survives, divided in 4 cunei. Curved outer wall in good conditions.
ORCHESTRA: 15 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: The stage building was 26,1 x 12,3 m. Scaenae frons had three doorways, marble and some pieces of statues has been recovered from it.
LOCATION: Ancient Hadrianopolis is south of Albania, close to Sofratike and 11 klm. south from Gjirokaster.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Cabanes, Pierre (Ed.); “Carte Archéologique de l’Albanie”. Tirana, Klosi & Benzenberg, 2008. // 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: Hadrianopolis´ ancient theatre is in the middle of a vast green field, in a wide valley leading to the Alban-Greek frontier. One expects to find some poppies or spring flowers surrounding these beautiful theatre of Hadrianopolis, but nothing is further from these, in this broad valley grew thousands of concrete round trenches, like mushrooms after the rain fall, a dark reminder of the recent past.

Sagalassos (Aglasun)

SAGALASSOS (Aglasun), ancient Psidia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 37º40’41.69’’N // 30º31’18.37’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre, Asia Minor style. Urban.
DATE: Las quarter II A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS: The building was used for amphitheatre games too.
CAPACITY: 7.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing south-west. 98,5 m. diameter. Exceeds semicircle. East side ima cavea rests on natural hill but west sides built over substructures. Maenianum: Ima cavea 25 rows of seats in 8 cunei. Summa cavea with 18 rows of seat in 17 cunei.
ORCHESTRA: 25,5 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: The scaenae frons was rectilinear and had five doors; the columnatio had two storey.
LOCATION: In the uptown area. Ancient Sagalassos is 1500 m. high, 5 klm. north from Aglasun, 50 klm. south from Isparta.

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. // Freely, John; “The eastern mediterranean coast of Turkey”. Istanbul, Matbaacilik ve Yayincilik A.S., 1998.

OUT OF PRINT: In 2005, when I went from Gölhisar to Isparta for visiting Sagalassos I had to come back 50 klm. before arriving the place, it had snow and I did not have chains for the car. It was frustrating because Sagalassos was one of the places I wish, more than another one, to visit. It was Kurban Bayrami day, a lot families were travelling for visiting their families and there were slaughtered lambs in the villages... I would like to have had these day a real Turkish family for being part of these religious celebration. In 2009, when I returned to my lovely Turkey, finally, I could visit Sagalassos and its theatre and odeon. It is one of the most especial ancient theatres for me, for their intact remains; for the place, where the stones in symbiosis with the mountain; for the silence it has, a cold silence, the silence of the wind and the mountains... Sagalassos, my winter ancient theatre... a place that breaks your breathe