Les Arènes de Thénac

Les Arènes de THÉNAC,  ancient Gallia Aquitania, modern France.

 

COORDINATES: 45º41’53.12’’N // 0º37’30.13’’ O
TIPOLOGY: Gallo-roman theatre. Not urban.
DATE: Half I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing north-east. 81 m. diameter. Built on flat site. It had five radial passageways.
ORCHESTRA: 35 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: Nothing known.
LOCATION: 3,5 klm. north-eat from Thénac. 5,5 klm. south from Saintes.

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.//  Landes, Christian (Ed.); “Le gout du theatre a Rome et en Gaule romaine”. Musée de Lattes, 1989.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: Caía la noche cuando visité les Arènes de Thénac, un día de enero de 2006. Fue mi primer teatro antiguo francés. A penas unos montículos de tierra y algún resto arquitectónico disperso. Calenté una sopa en el hornillo, cercano a donde debió estar, en su día, el frente escénico. Dormí aquella noche en mi coche, muy abrigado por el frío, junto al teatro. No recuerdo lo que soñé, no recuerdo siquiera si  era consciente de lo que me depararían las siguientes semanas, aquel fue el primer día, la primera noche, el primer edificio, el preámbulo de un fabuloso viaje, una locura de 8000 klm. en territorio francés, en busca de 34 teatros antiguos.

Derventum (Drévant)

DERVENTUM (Drévant), ancient Gallia Aquitania. modern France.

COORDINATES: 46º41’35.13N // 2º31’21.35’’E

TIPOLOGY: Rural ritual Gallo-Roman theatre. Not urban.

DATE: Last I or first II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: III and IV A.D.

CAPACITY: 5.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south-west. 85 m. diameter. Rest on hillside. There were three maeniana: Ima cavea with 10 rows of seats in 4 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 27 m. diameter, surrounded by podium, 2,6 m. high.

STAGE BUILDING: Scene building 18,5 x 7 m. It was roofed by 4 Doric columns.

LOCATION: Ancient Derventum is in modern Drevant, 45 klm. south of Bourges.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: 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. // 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: I spent one winter crossing France searching for the ancient stages...

““It is snowing on my roof and on the trees. The wall and the garden are white,
the path black, and the house has given way without a sound. It is snowing.”

            –Pierre Reverdy-

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.

Vienna (Vienne)

VIENNA (Vienne), ancient Gallia Narbonensis, modern France.

COORDINATES: 45º31’29.51’’N // 4º52’43.41’’E.

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Last I B.C. or first I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Proscaenium was built in II A.D.

CAPACITY: 10.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing west – northwest. 130,4 m. diameter. Buily against hillside, all the cavea was accessible from vomotoria and annular passage system. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 12 rows of seats in 4 cunei; Media cavea with 21 rows in 10 cunei; Summa cavea with 10 rows in 10 cunei, top of it there is an ambulatory. In the middle of the porticus in summa cavea there was a small temple.

ORCHESTRA: 34,7 m. diameter including bisellia –four steps-. Paved in different colors marble.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium -1,33 m. high- with 4 rectangular –two big and two small- rectangular niches and 3 curved; it has remained part of the decoration (lion, satyr heads...). There are aulaeum remains. Pulpitum 72 x 11,3 m. In scaenae frons the regia door is in a large niche with curved sides.

LOCATION: The theatre was built using the natural slope of Colline de Pipet.

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”.

OUT OF PRINT: The Roman theatre in Vienna is a fest for the eyes... the colorful marble orchestra, the stunning decorative figures from proscaenium, the inmensity of the cavea... but there is something more extraordinary, when I viewed the cavea from the top of the seats I had a long lost feeling, overwhelming... the same feeling I had when I was a boy, the same feeling I had when I went to football matches at the Santiago Bernabeu,.. an emotional vertigo.

Aquae Segetae Segusiavorum (Moingt)

AQUAE SEGETAE SEGUSIAVORUM (Moingt),  ancient Lugdunensis, modern France.

COORDINATES: 45º35’29.21’’N // 4º04’11.94’’E

TIPOLOGY: Gallo-Romain theatre. Not urban.
DATE: Second half I A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 8.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing Nort-East. 84 m. diameter. It was built against slop. The curved wall that surrounded the cavea still remains. The seats were built in wood.
ORCHESTRA:
STAGE BUILDING: It was 22 x 7 m. Each side of the scene had basilica.
LOCATION: The ancient theatre is Moingt, just south of Montbrison, 65 klm. east from Lyon.
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 kilometers before arriving Moingt, the French police did stop my car in the highway, coming from Lyon. I supposed it was suspected my car, old and with a spanish plate without the European community stars. Seven police men inspected at the same time my belongings. They did not find anything strange so they asked me where I was going to; I answer them I was going to visit an ancient Gallo-Roman theatre in Moingt, They look themselves in a incredulous way, and told me that the Roman ancient theathre was in Lyon, not in Moingt, they returned to ask me why I was going to go to Moingt... it was difficult to convince them that a poor wall in Moingt was somewhere in time a real ancient Gallo-Roman theatre... it took time.

Aqua Neri - Neriomagus (Néris-les-Bains)

AQUAE NERI – NERIOMAGUS (Néris-les-Bains), ancient Gallia Aquitania, modern France.

COORDINATES: 46º17’23.53’’ N // 2º39’29.38’’ E
TIPOLOGY: Gallo-roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Last first I A.D. or first II A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Probable the theatre had a first phase.
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing south-west. 96 m. diameter. It´s only visible the artificial hill which supported the cavea.
ORCHESTRA: 40 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: There is not remains.
LOCATION: It´s in the meddle of modern Neris-les-Bains, about 210 klm west from Lyon.

ME BEDSIDE TABLE: 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. // 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: Neris-les-Bains´ ancient theatre is an invisible trace. You can imagine it for the little promontory. Now where the row of steps were there are trees and wooden seats, in them old people spend the morning and little children play the evenings. A Gallo-roman theatre, that means a theatre-amphitheatre where actor´s plays lived with beast games; but now, from the Neriomagus arena do not run any bull or wolf, only a child behind a bike.

Lugdunum (Lyon)

LUGDUNUM (Lyon), ancient Gallia Lugdunensis, modern France.

COORDINATES: 45º45’31.24’’N // 4º49’11.20”E
TIPOLOGY : Roman odeon. Urban.
DATE: Mid- II A.D.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 4.000 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing east. 75 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 16 rows of seats in 4 cunei –two of them very smalls-; Summa cavea with 5 rows in 5 cunei.
ORCHESTRA: 21 m. diameter,, including bisellia. There are remains of original marble floor.
STAGE BUILDING: Scaenae frons was rectilinear, it had a big porticus post scaenam.
LOCATION: Close to the roman theatre.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Landes, Christian (Ed.); “Le gout du theatre a Rome et en Gaule romaine”. Musée de Lattes, 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. //  De Leseleuc, Anne; “La Gaule. Architecture et civilisation”. Paris, Flammarion, 2001. // Knight, Jeremy; “Roman France. An archaeological field guide”. Gloucestershire, Tempus, 2001.

 OUT OF PRINT: In the upper part of Lyon, in the upper cavea of the ancient odeon, eating a croissant who had just been born, the heat in the hand, the cold in the face, the eyes in the frog waiting for the rain to made bright the marble colour pieces of that wonderful orchestra.

Alba Augusta Helviorum (Alba-la-Romaine)

ALBA AUGUSTA HELVIORUM (Alba-la-Romaine), ancient Gallia Narbonensis, modern France.

COORDINATES: 44º33’35.52” N // 4º36’06.65” E

TIPOLOGY :Gallo-roman Theatre transformed in Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: II A.D.

CAPACITY: 3.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing east. 73 m. diameter. maenianum. Ima cavea: cunei and steps. Summa cavea: cunei and steps.

ORCHESTRA: 12,3 m. diameter, including bisellia and passegeway 22,5 m.

STAGE BUILDING: A modern water canal has destroyed any remains.

LOCATION: Ancient theatre is less than one kilometer north from modern Alba-la-Romaine.

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.

OUT OF PRINT: Maybe Alba-la-Romaine ancient theatre is one of less spectacular roman theatres in Narbonensis, land of impressive ancient theatres but it has something especial and diferent: 1/ Originally It was a Gallo-Roman theatre that was converted in a Roman theatre, one century later, something curious if we think that in Narbonensis is not common Gallo-Roman theatres but Romans type. 2/ It´s close to a small village, in the middle of the field, not in a big moder city like its is in Narbonensis ancient theatres.

Germanicomagus (Saint Cybardeaux)

GERMANICOMAGUS (Saint Cybardeaux), ancient Gallia Aquitania, modern France.

COORDINATES: 45º46'53.56" N // 0º00'22.67" O
TIPOLOGY : Gallo-Roman cult theatre.

DATE: I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: II and III A.D.

CAPACITY: 6.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-east. 105,6 m. diameter. Built against hillside. Two maeniana: Ima cavea with 7 cunei ; summa cavea with 13 cunei. In I A.D., in his first phase it was considerably smaller, with capacity for only 1.000 spectators. Seats were made of wood, in lower part some stone tired seats were added for persons of note.

ORCHESTRA: 47,6 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Scaena 10 x 8,8 m. in the first phase, but later enlarged 35,5 x 7,1 m.

LOCATION: Ancient Germanicomagus is in the Bois des Bouchauds, 40 klm. north of Angoulême Theatre used in ancient times for religious purposes.

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.

OUT OF PRINT: I arrived Germanicomagus one cloudy morning, cold but sweet time. I found of the deepest silences I have ever felt in my life. The theatre is in a forest called Bois de Bouchauds, a place drown of a story where, after the fog, it would be easy to see a druid.