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.