Heloros (Eloro)

HELOROS (Eloro), ancient Magna Grecia / Sicilia. modern Italy.

COORDENATES: 36º50’28.05’’N // 15º06’20.93’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: IV B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 1.200 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. 45 m. diameter. Built against hillside. It had 15 rows of seats (11 are visible) in 5 cunei (there are only remains of three). Cavea exceeds semicircle.

ORCHESTRA: 15 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING:

LOCATION: Theatre is south of the city, close to the stream. Eloro is 2 klm. south from Lido di Noto, about 40 klm. south from Siracusa.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Mitens, Karina; “Teatri greci e teatri inspirati all’architecttura greca in Sicilia e nell’Italia Meridionale c. 350-50 a.C.”. Roma, L’Erma di Bretschneider, 1988. // Maggi, Stefano; Troso, Cristina. “Guida all’Italia archeologica”. Casale Monferrato, Piemme, 2007. // 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 of Heloros is close to the beach... the morning I visited Heloros I wished to have my plastic rake, bucket and shovel to dig it.

Elis (Ilida)

ELIS (Ilida), ancient Eleia / Acaya, modern Greece.

COORDENATES: 37º53’36.65’’N // 21º22’32.33’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: First half IV B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 8.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-west. 104 m. diameter. Cavea exceeds semicircle. Built on natural slope. Rows of earth terraces in steps, divided into 7 cunei; later stones steps placed on top of ramps. Paradoi remains well preserved.

ORCHESTRA: 21 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium supported by Ionic columns. Stage was 22x2,8 m. The scene building was 22 m. long but with wings at sides, ramps, 46 m.

LOCATION: Ancient theatre is north of agora, close to Dionysos temple.

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. // 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.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: When I visited Elis ancient theatre there were scholars and archeologists working on it... it was like a group of Childs making a castle in the sand... that seems to be Elis one, a theatre of sand.

Arretium (Castelsecco / Arezzo)

ARRETIUM (Castelsecco / San Cornelio / Arezzo), ancient Regio VII, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 43º26’40.98’’N // 11º54’00.93’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman cultic theatre. Not urban.

DATE: II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: facing south-west, 45 m. diameter. There are remains of 4 lowest rows of seats, now covered.

ORCHESTRA: 12,5 m. diameter, paved in stone slabs.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium was rectilinear, also the scaenae frons. Pulpitum was 18 x 6,5 m.

LOCATION: The theatre is connected with temple, 105 m. away, in the hill of Castelsecco, san Cornelio, 4 klm. south from modern Arezzo.

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: When I visited the place I was not sure that the theatre were there, I was not sure I was in the right place... but it was, I could check it months later, checking some plans.

Kaunos (Dalyan)

KAUNOS (Dalyan), ancient Caria / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 36º49’31.41’’N // 28º37’23.57’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: scene building I B.C., rebuilt in roman times in II A.D.

CAPACITY: 5.500 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south-west. Built against hillside. 73 m. diameter, exceeds semicircle; Maenianum: Ima cavea with 18 rows of seats in 9 cunei; Summa cavea with 15 rows in 9 cunei. Top rows in ima and summa with continuous stone-back rest.

ORCHESTRA: 21 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Hellenistic proscaenium remains with 16 Doric columns.  

LOCATION: Near foot of acropolis hill. 2 klm. south-west from modern Dalyan, crossing the river.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010. // Bean, George; “Turkey beyond the Maeander”. London, Ernst Benn, 1971.// 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: After tasting the silence of ancient Kaunos an old woman, dressed severly in black, crossed me to the other side, in her small boat, to Dalyan. She was about 80 years old, paddled slowly, slowly, slowly as you have to savor Kaunos. From the river I could hear the call to pray, and something in my chest was recorded in fire for ever... I was the protagonist of a film by Angelopoulos.

Chaeronea (Heronia)

CHAERONEA (Heronia), ancient Beotia, modern Greece.

 

COORDINATES: 38º29’34.79’’N // 22º50’24.56’’E

TIPOLOGY: Archaic Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: Late V B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Curved cavea from IV B.C. Some transformations from Roman times.

CAVEA: Facing north.Rock cut.  Earlier cavea 30 m. diameter, with 5 rows of seats, separated by podium from 3 rows of seats. Later cavea, shallow irregular curve, 37 m. diameter, with 10 rows of seats in 2 cunei, separated from 4 rows by rock cut wall.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING: Ther´s not remains.

LOCAION: At the foot of north summit of Mt. Petrachos, in modern Heronia, 50 klm. east from Delphi.

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. // Arias, Paolo Enrico; “Il teatro greco fuori di Atene”. Firenze, G.C. Sansoni, 1934.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT:

"This landscape is hard as silence

tightens in his breast his fiery stones

tightens to light their orphans olive groves and vineyards

tightens the jaws. No water. Only light."

                        -Yannis Ritsos-

 

Acinipo (Ronda la Vieja)

ACINIPO (Ronda la Vieja), ancient Baetica, modern Hispania.

 

COORDINATES: 36º49’54.61’’N // 5º14’25.79’’W

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Half I B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Scene building last I B.C. or first I A.D.

CAPACITY: 3.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing east. 62 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 14 rows of seats in 6 cunei. Summa cavea with 4 rows in 4 cunei. Cut into rock.

ORCHESTRA: 21 m. diameter, paved in stone, there are pink marble remains, surrounded by wall. One step for bisellia.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium with 3 curved and 2 rectilinear niches; there are aulaeum remains, with 6 mast holes. Pulpitum was 29,4 x 7,9 m. The scaenae frons, very well preserved, is rectilinear, with two storeys. Postscaenium with 4 rectangular rooms.

LOCATION: West side of ancient town.Acinipo is 18 klm. north-east from Ronda.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: “Teatros romanos de Hispania” Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, 1993 // 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:

“A cloud in the sky

drives to the light...
                        -Where?
No one must ask
                        (Time
tresh love
all the dream of the heart)”

-Emilio Prados-

Asisium (Assisi)

ASISIUM (Assisi), ancient Regio VI, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 43º04’13.46’’N // 12.37’05.76’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: First I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing south-east. 60 m. diameter. Built on radial vaults, surrounded by ambulacrum. Only some arches survives in a garden close to Via del Torrione, the facade had 23 arched openings. It probably had two maeniana.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING: Close to town walls, under Via del Torrione and Vicolo Bovi.

LOCATION: The theatre remains are 120 m. east from ancient amphitheatre, between Via del Torrione and Via Montecavallo, close to Cattedrale.

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: Sometimes the imagination is fed by small elements to reconstruct somenthing big, an exrcise approaching to the past, playing tracks, holding a straw.

Sillyon (Asar Köy)

SILLYON (Asar Köy), ancient Pamphylia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 36º59’24.98’’N // 30º59’14.24’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE:

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 2.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing sout-east. 60 m. diameter. Only 9 top rows of seats survives. The theatre was on the edge of the hill and collapsed in 1969, falling down part of the cavea, the stage building and the nearby odeon. George Bean saw 15 rows of seats in 60´s.

ORCHESTRA: Nothing survives.

STAGE BUILDING: Nothing survives.

LOCATION: Ancient Sillyon is on a hill, 20klm north-east from ancient Perge; 34 klm. north-east from Antalya. The theatre remains are on south rim of acropolis hill.

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; “Turkey´s southern shore”. London, Ernest Benn Limited, 1968.// Freely, John; “The eastern mediterranean coast of Turkey”. Istanbul, Matbaacilik ve Yayincilik A.S., 1998.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: The ancient Sillyon theatre was the first one I visited in my first travel to Turkey; I can not explain the exciting feelings I had, could not have a better start. The place of ancient Sillyon is absolutely fascinating, magical and enigmatic. A real place where you can talk with the silence, a silence that make you drunk. From the seats, surrounded by sheep I remembered that verses: “Extend the look / fly it in the infinite horizon / like a bird or the rain that settle”. Pamphylia under my fe

Thera (Thira, Santorini Island)

THERA (Thira, Santorini Island, Cyclades), ancient Achaea, modern Greece.

COORDINATES: 36º21’47.99’’N // 25º28’43.72’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.
DATE: First half III B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Presesent stone cavea at half II B.C. Roman scaena at Tiberian time, I A.D.
CAPACITY: 1.500 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing east-north-east. Cavea is enclosed in rectangular walls. Ima cavea with 23 rows of seats in 5 cunei.
ORCHESTRA: Circular orchestra, 9,58 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: The front wall of Roman scene building was built on line of Hellenistic proscaenium wall.
LOCATION: The theatre is south-east of the ancient remains. Ancient Thera is located at east of Santorini island, in the Cyclades.
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. // Arias, Paolo Enrico; “Il teatro greco fuori di Atene”. Firenze, G.C. Sansoni, 1934.

OUT OF PRINT:

“They will smell of incense, and their faces are burnt by their crossing through the great dark places”. –The sleep of the brave- Odysseas Elytis.

Praeneste (Palestina)

PRAENESTE (Palestrina), ancient Regio I, Latium, Italy.

COORDINATES: 41º50’25.52’’N // 12º53’33.27’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatrical steps.
DATE: II B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 300 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing south-south west. 59 m. diameter. Only one maeniana, with 9 rows of seats. Porticus at summa cavea.
ORCHESTRA:
STAGE BUILDING: The scene was made on wood
LOCATION: The theatre is part of sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, in modern Palestrina, 35 klm. east from Rome.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Hanson, John Arthur. “Roman theatre-temples”. Princenton, Princenton University Press, 1959. // 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:

“Everyone is alone at the heart of the earth
pierced by a ray of sunlight:
and suddenly it´s evening”

                                         -Salvatore Quasimodo-

Orrouy - Champlieu

ORROUY, CHAMPLIEU, ancient Belgica, modern France.

COORDENATES: 49º18’32.57’’N // 2º51’15.48’’E

TIPOLOGY: Cultic Gallo-Romain theatre.

DATE: II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 3.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-north-west. 71,4 m. diameter. Built on flat terrain.

ORCHESTRA: 32 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: The stage was 12 x 9,6 m., it projects into orchestra.

LOCATION: The theatre is part of a temple complex. Orrouy is 30 klm. north-east from Senlis, about 70 klm. nort-east from Paris.

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”. Musée de Lattes, 1989. // Knight, Jeremy; “Roman France. An archaeological field guide”. Gloucestershire, Tempus, 2001

 

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: Some year ago I visited Orrouy ancient theatre a Sunday evening in January, I had slept in my car for two weeks, traveling around France for visiting some Gallo-Romains ancient theatres. I remember that day I prepare my food in a gas stove that I had... not very elegant for a Sunday lunch, but that day macaroni were like caviar for me, being closed to the absolutely marvelous Orrouy remains and surroundings.