Singilia Barba (Antequera)

SINGILIA BARBA (Antequera), ancient Hispania Baetica, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 37º02’05.34’’N // 4º37’52.44’’W

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First I A.D.¿?

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 1.200 ¿? spectators

CAVEA: Facing north-northwest. 52 m. diameter. Built against hillside. The theatre is not excavated. Only two edges of summa cavea is visible. It´s supposed that there would be about 18 rows of seats.

ORCHESTRA: c. 15,5 m. diameter

STAGE BUILDING:

LOCATION: Ancient Singilia Barba is inside a private property, north-west from modern Antequera; the theatre is on north slope of Cerro Castillón, in an olive tree field.

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: David lives on Antequera. I contacted with him searching information about Singilia Barba. I tried to contact in two times with archaeologist of Antequera town hall but was not possible. David, a man in love of the ancient past of Antequera offered me to visit the ancient town. It was a great evening, giving a round by ancient Singilia with him. About the theatre... what to tell... it´s not excavated but is there, I am sure there are good remains of it but not money for it.

Colonia Patricia Corduba (Córdoba)

COLONIA PATRICIA CORDUBA (Córdoba), ancient Baetica / Hispania, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 37º52’55.14’’N // 4º46’41.41’’W

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Last I B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 10.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south-east. 124 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 14 rows of seats, number 10 and 11 are preserved, divided in 6 cunei.; Media cavea with 20 rows of seats divided in 12 cunei; Summa cavea with 6 rows. There is an axial vomitorium that leads directly  to the orchestra and bisects the ima cavea.

ORCHESTRA: 31 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING:

LOCATION: The remains are inside Archaeological museum, in Jerónimo Paéz square.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: “Jornadas sobre teatros romanos en Hispania” Grafisur, Córdoba, 2006. // “El teatro romano. La puesta en escena” . Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 2003.

OUT OF PRINT:
“Or perhaps you think I am equal to you and indecisive to the destiny”
               -Lucano, “Farsalia”-

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-

Termantia Therme (Tiermes)

TERMANTIA THERME (Tiermes), ancient Tarraconensis, modern Spain.

  

COORDINATES: 41º19’46.67’’N // 3º08’48.20’’O

TIPOLOGY: Iberan or Roman Theatron.

DATE: I a.C or I d.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 2.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. It´s rectilinear but it has not a regular shape. The theatre is carved on rock, but there are remains of masonry for a second maeniana. Ima cavea with 9 rows of seats, buy unknown rows in summa. The theatre was used for public or religious propose. There´s a drainage system, consisting of several channels carved on the rock. In summer the rock cavea is used for performances.

ORCHESTRA: An open area, trapezoidal, 200 x 80 m.

STAGE BUILDING: There´s no traces of it.

LOCATION: Close to “Sun gate”

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: www.tiermes.net/opc_yacimiento_virtual.asp?id=2

OUT OF PRINT: It´s said that Salvador Dalí was inspired by the topography of Cadaqués to paint his creations. I say that he probably knew the cavea of Tiermes, or maybe he was the sculptor of the rows of seats.

Urso (Osuna)

URSO (Osuna), ancient Baetica, modern Spain

COORDINATES: 37º14’19.87’’N // 5º05’44.30’’W

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Not urban.

DATE: 

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing east. At least 50 m. diameter. Maenianum. Three maeniana; six rows of seats survives from media cavea. Ima cavea is covered. Summa rested on masonery wall, maybe it had wooden steps.

ORCHESTRA: It has not been excavated. About 20 m. diameter

STAGE BUILDING: Some Corinthian capitals survived.

LOCATION: Theatre was outside ancient city walls. Now the building is East of modern Osuna, in a private property.

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. // http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/rutasteatro/es/01_TR_42.html

 

OUT OF PRINT: I have been visiting Osuna´s roman theatre these week. Alfredo Cruz, the owner of the property where the theatre is, showed me the remains and told me all he knows about it. He talked with passion about the incredible acoustic the theatre still have, surprising if we know that the theatre is covered and the visible remains are only some partial six rows of seats. He talked me about a flamenco concert that some friends of him did in a summer night and how they felt the wonderful acoustic... listening to him I felt the ancient theatre alive, like a big and ancient body asleep, waiting to be awakened... and i felt  jealous, who would not want to have a private roman theatre in his garden? Thanks Alfredo for all your kidness, all the best for you.

Regina (Casas de Reina)

REGINA (Casas de Reina), ancient  Baetica / Hispania, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 38º12’12.07” N / 5º57’12.45” W

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Last quarter I A.D.

CAPACITY: 1.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north.east. 64 m. diameter. Maenianum: Ima cavea, 10 row of seats  in 5 cunei; the existence of Summa cavea is hypothetical, maybe it had 8 row of seats in 5 cunei and maybe that rows were of wood.

ORCHESTRA: 19,60 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: Scaenae frons with three doors in semicircular niches. Pulpitum was 39,4 x 9,17 m (including proscaenium).

LOCATION: Theatre is close to the village of Casas de Reina, closeto the forum, in the meddle of the field.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Martínez Alvarez; Nogales Basarrate; “Teatro Romano de Regina” in Dionisio 6, Palumbo & C. Editore, 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: Regina would be Don Quixote´s ancient theatre, for its situation; it´s not in Castilla but in Extremadura, the cereal field paying tribute to the sun. Near Regina, in the north of Badajoz land you can visit the rediscovered Medellin ancient theatre and of course the jewel crown of Hispania´s ancient theatres, Mérida.

Pollentia (Alcudia)

POLLENTIA (Alcudia), ancient Hispania Tarraconensis, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 39º50’50.54” N // 3º07’34.62” E

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Urban?

DATE:  I A.D. (maybe Julio-Claudian)

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 650 - 800 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing south. Cut in the rock. 31 m. diameter survives but it was bigger. maenianum. Ima cavea: 10 rows of seats in 4 cunei (extreme two are a little bigger than the two of the middle). Summa cavea: maybe it was built on wood, there are some holes that make that hypothesis.

ORCHESTRA: 16 m. diameter, surronded by bisellia (three rows).

STAGE BUILDING: There are foundation remains and some holes maybe for aulaeum.

LOCATION: 600 m. south of town, in archeological park close to Alcudia, in the north-east of Mallorca island.

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. // “Jornadas sobre teatros romanos en Hispania” Córdoba, 2006.

OUT OF PRINT: I visited Pollentia´s ancient theatre one morning, I had the feeling of being in a private garden, that´s because Alcudia´s archeological park is an old private fields. I imagined in the stone remains ancient actors giving life to that poor skeleton. With Pollentia I lived something that I haven´t in anorther ancient theatres, after I visited it in october 2008 I had to act, the same day, but not in it, in fact  in the “Teatro Municipal” in Palma de Mallorca city, 50 klm. far. Before going out to stage I remembered to have thought that if in 2.000 years somebody will feel a curiosity for the remains of “Teatro Municipal” like I I had that morning, visiting the ancient Pollentia´s Roman theatre... easy to explain... syntetic foam seats are not the same that  stone rows of seats... nobody will imagine me in 2.000 years.

Clunia (Peñalba de Castro)

CLUNIA (Peñalba de Castro), ancient Hispania Tarraconensis, modern Spain.

COORDINATES: 41º47'02.42" N // 3º21'55.17" O
TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First I A.D. (Tiberian)

TRANSFORMATIONS: II A.D. ima cavea and orchestra transformed for amphitheatre games.

CAPACITY: 10.000 espectators.

CAVEA: Facing east. 96 m. diameter. Maenianum: Only parts of summa survives, carved on rock. Ima cavea: unknow rows in 4 cunei; Media cavea: 12 rows in 4 cunei; Summa cavea: 12 rows in 4 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 24 m. diameter. In the center there is a stone with a ring, it was used to tie the beasts in amphitheater games.

STAGE BUILDING: 11,6 m. high. Two storeys corinthian order columnatio.

LOCATION: Is close to Peñalba de Castro, a little village 90 klm. South-west of Burgos.

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. // “El teatro en la Hispania romana” Badajoz, 1982. // “Jornadas sobre teatros romanos en Hispania” Córdoba, 2006. // “La Scaenae Frons en la arquitectura teatral romana”. Murcia, Universidad de Murcia, 2010. // De Palol, P.; “Clunia. Historia de la ciudad y guía de las excavaciones”. Burgos, Diputación provincial de Burgos, 1994.

OUT OF PRINT: My first spanish roman theatre published in that blog had to be Clunia, the ancient theatre I have visited more. It is near of where I live. I have seen some transformations and excavations in it, the last one has been the last process of restoration and rehabilitation for summer concerts and plays, finished two months ago. In his rows I have read Plauto´s plays some summer evenings, a special place for me, and for dialogue with silence.