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.