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.